Chance, Coincidence, Reason
by Aielli
Summary: I must apologise, but I couldn't help myself. A Harry Potter-King Arthur crossover. Read at your own risk.
1. Everyone's worst day

A/N: Okay, I just had to do this. I love Harry Potter and Kind Arthur and I've been kicking around the idea of doing a crossover for awhile. The character I used is the same one from my story "Ataraxia" (yeah, I'm lazy). Anyway, I'm really not sure about this story. Crossovers are fun to think about it, but they almost always never work out very well. Ah well, tell me what you think......please be nice! Bye for now!   
  
Chance, Coincidence, Reason.  
  
Chapter One: Everyone's Worst Day  
  
She must have done something wrong. Something horribly, terribly wrong. She must've angered someone very important in a past life, or perhaps she was just terminally unlucky. Maybe the forces of the world had suddenly aligned against her over night, or perhaps God was just in the mood for a little joke. Whatever the case, when Darwin Moore had gone to sleep at night in her plushy four-poster bed, only to wake up face-down in a puddle of mud, she wasn't laughing.  
  
Her head hurt and her eyes stung. She rolled over and struggled into a sitting position. She wiped the muck from her eyes and cursed everything that came to mind. The only thing she was aware of was that she was cold, wet, dirty and royally annoyed. She surveyed her surroundings with sore eyes, tasting something she prayed was only mud in her mouth.   
  
"Oh, what the hell?!" She asked aloud, to no one in particular.   
  
To her utter shock and disappointment, she discovered she was in the middle of a forest. As well, to add insult to injury, or maybe just insult to insult, she saw that what she thought was a puddle was actually more like a pool of mud and she was drenched in it.   
  
For a moment, she did nothing. She just continued to sit in her pool of mud, her arms limp at her side, while her waking grogginess cleared. She looked left, she looked right. For a moment, nothing. A bird chirped overhead and a slight breeze ran through the trees. Nothing.   
  
And then, all in an instant, a tidal wave of emotions hit her.   
  
"Arrgggh!" She howled.  
  
She was furiously indignant, severely confused, a little hungry, and grossly uncomfortable, but mostly, she felt sorry. She felt sorry for the person who's idea this was of a prank. A sick, daft prank which had been taken way too far. Taking pictures of someone in compromising positions while they were asleep, okay, that's funny. Pouring water on someone while they're asleep, okay, that had comedic potential too. Even moving someone's bed down to the Quidditch pitch while they were asleep, it would take a lot of commitment, but yeah, that was funny too. But this, this was just way out of line. It showcased a dedication to pranking that was just ridiculous and completely unfunny. She mentally promised the culprit of this shenanigan a world of hurt as a means to show her "appreciation" for their dedication to their craft.   
  
She scrambled to her feet, only to find that they were wobbly. Well, she had never slept on a forest floor before, so she didn't really know what to expect. She again wiped at her eyes and then grumpily began on her way. Without really thinking about it, she followed the gentle slope in the ground. She had never ventured very far within the Forbidden Forest, but she had gone far enough to know that as you went further in, the ground climbed higher and higher.   
  
As she walked, she considered who her tormenter might be. It had to be someone she knew, and it had to be someone in Gryffindor. That left Lily Evans, who she highly doubted had it in her to play such a mean prank, and the Marauders, who she knew did have it in them. The permanent pranksters were always getting into trouble for there antics, but even this seemed extreme for them. She didn't know what form of intoxication had convinced them that this would be funny, but she was sure she would find out and when she did, ohhhhharrgghhhgrrr— Her thoughts had ceased to be thoughts and were now merely mental growls as she was not yet able to determine what she would do when she found them, she was just too angry. The nerve of them! And it was winter too! It was freezing cold and she wished that they would've been considerate enough to leave her cloak in the forest as well.   
  
She continued to walk with the air of a grumpy child who hasn't had their nap for the day. Above, birds chirped loudly. A whole flock of birds, just chirping away, the sound increasingly annoying, pounding in Darwin's ears.  
  
"SHUT UP!" She screamed. "Just shut up, all of you!" You'd think those bloody birds would have a little more consideration, she thought to herself. After all, she did wake up face down in the dirt and was in absolutely no mood for the wonders of nature. It can be expected that anyone else finding themselves in a similar predicament would, as well, not be in the most rational states of mind either.   
  
She continued on, and the forest, thankfully, remained fairly quiet. The forest floor gently sloped upward, which struck her as odd. Maybe her so-called friends had brought her deeper into the forest then she had thought. She shrugged it off and continued to walk. Five minutes turned into ten, ten into twenty, and soon, she found that she had been walking for nearly forty-five minutes.   
  
She swallowed hard and her breathing quickened as she tried not to panic. She looked around her, but nothing looked familiar. With a sinking feeling in her stomach she only now considered something that had been pricking at the back of her mind when she first started walking. This wasn't the Forbidden Forest. The trees were too sparsely spaced, the light filtering in through the tree tops was too abundant, and the suspicious lack of evil beings was a dead give away. She wasn't in the Forbidden Forest, which meant that she was nowhere near the castle.   
  
I would like to be able to say that Darwin put on a brave face and continued on her way, undaunted by her dilemma, shoving her fear aside and boldly facing whatever came her way, you know, a strong, independent female, and all that. But no, not this time. She did what any seventeen year old witch would do in her position – she plopped down by the nearest tree and began to cry.   
  
Her hands were flushed and shaking, her nose was runny, tears continually ran down her face and she was making a sound akin to a goat in extreme pain.   
  
The thing with crying is that you can only do it for so long. Eventually, everyone stops, no matter how bad it hurts. When Darwin finally ceased her sobbing, she found that she was still in the same forest, next to the same tree, and, more importantly, she was still lost. Well, not exactly lost. In order to get lost, one has to first know where they are. You have to be on the right highway in order to take the wrong exit and get lost. You have to be in the right city in order to walk down the wrong street and get lost. And you have to actually know which forest it is you're in before you can say that you're lost in said forest. I suppose in Darwin's case she more "displaced" because she simply didn't know what the hell was going on.   
  
She stood up and abruptly kicked the tree she had been sitting under. Instant karma. Now her foot hurt. She winced as tears of pain pricked at her eyes.   
  
She made the simple deduction that she wasn't going to accomplish anything staying where she was and decided to continue walking. There had to be some sort of competent living being somewhere close by. The earth was, after all, inhabited by billions of people and she figured she would eventually come into contact with one of them if she just kept going. And that's what she did.....for a really, really long time.   
  
She thought she had been walking for days, but it was really only a few hours. But still, even the slowest walkers can cover some distance in the span of a few hours and she was increasingly becoming distressed by the fact that she had not run into anyone yet. All she had seen were the stupid trees, with their stupid leaves and which there seemed to be way too many of in comparison with the amount of humans in this forest.   
  
Her feet dragged and her stomach growled. Her clothes were itchy and dirty and all her limbs ached. Her eye lids felt heavy and she just felt oh, so tired. She trudged on and still, no sign of human life.   
  
The panic she had been fighting all day was slowly getting the better of her. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as the light slowly drained from the forest and night approached. Evil things lurked at night, especially in forests, and she grew very scared. She wished she were back at the castle, snuggled safely away under a pile of blankets in her room. For crying out loud, she even wished she could be doing Potions homework right now. Anything was better than this.   
  
During the day, the forest had been quite non-threatening, but now it grew quite sinister. She could not see very far in front of her, even with the aid of the Lumos charm, and had to watch her steps carefully. Every sound she heard made her heart jump. A twig snapped, leaves shook, the wind whistled – she thought she might have a heart attack. It was only now that her mind fully explored all the possibilities of things that go bump in the night.  
  
As she squinted against the horizon, she thought she could see the woods thin and clear. She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but it was a change of scenery so she moved toward it. Just as she was making her way through a dense group of young trees, whose springy branches she had to push aside, it began to rain. Actually, more specifically, it began to pour.   
  
"Oh, come ON!" She cried indignantly, her arms angrily straightening at her sides. Promptly, the branches she had been pushing aside sprung back to smack her square in the face. The loads of snow they had been bearing flew into her hair and mouth and at that moment she wanted to hurt something very badly, or break something, or maybe destroy a priceless piece of art. Of course it had to rain, it couldn't just snow, because that wouldn't be bad enough, it had to rain so that all the snow on the ground would turn into ice and she would be skating her way out of here.   
  
She let out a howl of frustration and then painfully shoved her way through the trees. She felt a stinging on her face and arms and knew she had succeeded in scratching herself. Why with my luck, she thought, the wounds will probably turn gangrenous and then I'll have to spend the rest of my life with hooks for hands and no face. She shuddered and continued on.   
  
As she drew closer, she saw that indeed, this was the long looked-for exit from the forest. She had had just about enough of this forest, with it's trees and dirt and disgusting little bugs that crawled on the bark of the trees. She broke into a run, and of course, the rain was angled perfectly so that it flew directly into her eyes, forcing her to squint, with of course forced her to inadvertently trip over every tree stump and log she passed. She gripped her wand tightly in her hand, the light from it flickering in all directions.   
  
She finally made it out of the forest and now found that she was in a sloping valley. She walked forward a few steps, only to turn around and run back to the forest. She kicked the nearest tree with as much force as she could muster, as if to say HA, there, I win!. After that, she felt she could go on her way.   
  
When she spotted a group of lights and could make out the form of buildings up ahead, she wasn't surprised. That was just the way these things worked, right? You escape from the danger only to find safety. Simple.   
  
She walked very quickly toward the lights, but as she walked, she grew more and more confused. Instead of seeing flats and pubs, like you'd expect to see in a little town, she see what looked like straw huts, and wooden fences.   
  
"Well, this is different." She said to herself. Maybe they were Amish? She continued on, dauntlessly ignorant.   
  
There was a dirt path leading into the town and she followed it. As she grew nearer, she saw that there were a few people milling about. Maybe this was a film set then. The people were all clad in rags and they looked unmistakably like the stereotypical peasant. They were dirty, soaked with mud, holding farm instruments, hunched over and between them all they might have had one full set of teeth.   
  
The first people she walked past, did not look at her and she did not stop to talk to them. They were so dirty she feared she might contract some sort of disease just by talking to them. These people looked too genuine, too real, to be actors. Her stomach lurched and she couldn't help but feel panicked. She pulled her robe tight about her and continued on, very happy that she had again fallen asleep in her uniform. Sure, she looked completely alien to these people wearing her uniform, but wearing her pajamas instead, that would've just been embarrassing.   
  
She passed a few more people, who paid her no mind, and it suddenly occurred to her — what was she supposed to say anyway? She herself didn't understand what was going on, so she really couldn't ask for help. She pondered this for a few more moments, and looked up to see that she was now standing in front of a large wall with two enormous wooden doors in the middle of it.   
  
"Halt! Who goes there?" She heard a very strong male voice ask, startling her.   
  
She glanced behind her and all around. "Are you talking to me?" She questioned.   
  
"Who goes there?!" Uh oh, now the voice sounded angry. Okay, time for the friendly face.   
  
"My name's Darwin. I– I was wondering if you could help me, I'm a little lost." She squeaked out. She couldn't see who she was talking to, but she still felt like an idiot, none the less.   
  
She heard boots scraping against the ground and she could tell someone who was quite heavy was coming toward her.   
  
She didn't know what to expect, but this certainly wasn't it. Before her, she saw a heavy-set man with an ugly face wearing a helmet and clad completely in armour. And, was that a sword at his side? Not for the last time that day she wished again that she knew just what the hell was going on. The man had to be some sort of soldier, that much was obvious. He wore a pale coloured cloak and even his boots were covered in armour. He regarded her with a very strange look indeed, like he thought she might be a mass murderer.   
  
"Hi." She said goofily.   
  
The soldier did not reply, just continued to regard her.   
  
"I'm lost."She restated, as if that would explain away all the weirdness of the situation.   
  
"What are you looking for?" The man asked after a few moments. His eyes narrowed and Darwin couldn't help but feel like she was digging her own grave. She suddenly wanted to run away very badly, back to the forest. At least none of those disgusting little bugs carried swords.   
  
"I'm looking for Hogwarts." She said, not really thinking about.   
  
"Hog -warts?" The repeated.   
  
"Yeah, you know, Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry?" She said as if it were obvious. Un oh, huge mistake.   
  
The man's mouth dropped open and he just stared at her. She saw his hand move to the hilt of his sword.   
  
"You're in league with Merlin!" He cried.  
  
"What? No. I'm sure I don't know who you're talking about. Look, I think I'm going to go now. Thanks anyway!" She cried and tried to run away. The man grabbed her arms and then tackled her to the ground.   
  
He yelled something, but she couldn't hear what. For the second time that day she found herself face down in the mud, and oddly enough, it still wasn't funny. Soon, more people arrived, all of them dressed like the first man.   
  
"She's an evil witch!" Cried the man who was holding her down.   
  
"No, no I'm not." She spluttered beneath him.   
  
There was a pause, as if they were all waiting for her to explain herself.   
  
"I'm a good witch!" She cried. That was absolutely no help at all. The scuffle continued, only now she didn't have a fighting chance. They easily overpowered her. She tried to reach her wand but it was no use. She screamed and begged them to let her go. This really was turning out to be just an awful day.   
  
She had not noticed the small house of stone that stood near the large wooden doors when she had first arrived, but she did now, as that was where they were taking her. She struggled hard, there was something ominous about the little building and she for one did not want to find out what it was.   
  
"Please, just let me go!" She begged.   
  
"No. You must given salvation." Said one of the soldiers who was holding her.  
  
"No, really, that's okay. I hear this sort of thing is highly overrated." She said, squirming again.   
  
They said nothing, only continued to drag her toward the small stone building. When they got there, the first soldier let go of her, only to be replaced by another. There was a small door in the building and it opened to reveal the most butt-ugly human being Darwin had ever seen. He looked like a sort of monk, dressed all in black with a rope around his waist. The soldier gestured toward her and the monk's eyes narrowed. They spoke for a few more moments and the first soldier gestured for the other's bring her forward.   
  
She was now face to face with the ugly man and he looked even worse up close. He was nearly bold and his skin sagged. His teeth were yellow and he had little rat claws for hands, which he now presumed to caress her face with.   
  
"Child, you will now receive the salvation of the Lord." He said, his voice ecstatic.   
  
"But I don't want to." She whined.   
  
The soldiers shoved her inside and she took the opportunity to pull out her wand. She hit the closest one with the Blasting curse and he went flying. She was just about to cast the curse again, when the monk pulled her wand from her hand and sneered.   
  
"Devil spawn! You must be cleansed from the earth!" He said as he pulled the heavy wooden door shut.   
  
"Hey! Give that back!"She yelped, reaching for her wand and he batted her hand away. Right then, out of the darkness, two more monks appeared, and they were just as ugly.   
  
"She claims to be a witch." Ugly monk number one said to the others.   
  
"I am a witch, well, a witch in training anyway." Darwin said, trying to explain herself. At this moment, nothing was making sense to her. She was far too confused to feel frightened. Who were these people? And what were they doing here? And what was with the religious fanaticism? The monks only looked at her as if she were the most disgusting, vile thing they had ever seen.   
  
They gruffly pulled her forward and down a jagged set of stone stairs.   
  
"You're hurting me." She said, but they did not even look at her, only tightened their grip on her wrists. The first monk still held her wand and she saw him slip it into the folds of his robes.   
  
They brought her to a small dungeon-like room, with many small compartments cut into the walls, closed by steel bars. The smell was an awful, gut wrenching smell. She tried breathing through her mouth, but that barely helped. Her head swam and she thought she might be sick.   
  
"Did something die in here?" She asked, in spite of herself. It really was just an awful stench. She was sure she had never smelt anything quite so bad. She was just about to ask if they would open a window, when she heard a girl's voice.  
  
"More like someone." The voice growled angrily from somewhere to the left.   
  
"Silence!" One of the monks screeched.   
  
"Ahhh!" Darwin screamed. She hadn't realized that there were people inside those little compartments. And more, to the point, dead people inside those compartments.   
  
She felt panic rise inside her again and struggled forcibly against the monks holding her. She clawed and punched at them, nearly breaking free, only to be tackled back to the ground.  
  
"You are all sick little bastards!" She screamed at them. "You're all insane! Let me go!" She panted. Her face felt hot, and as she looked around the dungeon, it seemed much smaller now then when she had first come in.   
  
"You must be sacrificed to our Lord for your sins." One of the monks said to her with an eery calm. Darwin had the sinking suspicion that a lack of sunlight, lack of fresh air and being dropped on his head as a child had now caused this man to be permanently deranged.  
  
"Buddy, I usually fall asleep during mass but even I know this isn't the way it works." Darwin growled. She figured there was no real use trying to reason with them, but what choice did she have?   
  
"You presume to know the ways of our Lord? Filthy heathen, you shall learn some respect." Another one of the monks growled at her.   
  
They pulled her to her feet and then shoved her into one of the little compartments in the wall, close to where the voice from earlier had come from. Tight chains were placed around her wrists and then the cell door was closed. It made an ominous sound, and Darwin momentarily wondered if she would ever leave. The monks scurried off to a small room adjacent to the dungeon, and closed a small door behind them.   
  
The cell, of course, was dreadfully dirty and it smelled as if something had died in there. Darwin's stomach turned as she realized that something probably had. She dared not think of the diseases the cell was ridden with, and pulled her knees to her chest.   
  
"What did I do wrong?" She whimpered. But there was no answer. She again felt tears prick at her eyes and let them come freely. This just had to be the absolute worst day she would ever know, just had to be. It was unfair, of course, unjust, sure, but there was a reason for it. She was just taking the first difficult steps in a long journey, a journey that would change her life forever. On the stage of the world she had a small, but important, part to play. 


	2. I'm So Lonely I Could Cry

A/N: Wow! I made it to chapter two of this thing! I'm surprised. Sweet, I even got some reviews. In one of said reviews, Eirtae made a very good point about how Darwin would not be speaking the same language as everyone else, and hence, no one would understand her and vice versa. I thought about adding the language barrier to the story, but I knew if I did that I would have to find a way to solve it, or else there would be no story. I came to the conclusion though, that I would have to sacrifice the credibility of Darwin to do so, risking mary-sueism. For instance "Luckily she had learned to speak Latin/ Sarmatian/ an early version of English fluently over the summer" or "Coincidentally, she had mastered the Linguistics charm prior, knowing that it would eventually come in handy, which allowed her speech to be understood by everyone who heard her" just scream Mary - Sue. Besides, this is just for fun. Lol, historical accuracy be damned!  
  
Chapter Two: I'm So Lonely I Could Cry.  
  
Suddenly awaking in a strange forest which is part of strange land that you don't recognize whatsoever is one thing, but managing to completely alienate the first natives you meet of said land within a span of five minutes took real talent. You had to be really daft to do that.  
  
Darwin was one of those unlucky people who barely ever thought before she spoke, rushed into things and had, unfortunately, just been dealt a disproportionately large amount of bad luck. As she sat alone in her little cell/compartment/ hole of death, she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. She was beginning to feel very cramped sitting there, and wondered morbidly if she might develop a blood clot in her leg.  
  
There was a dripping sound coming from somewhere. Of course there was, it just wouldn't be a proper dungeon without it. Sadly, the dripping water eventually became a way to keep time, and Darwin guesstimated that she had been in there for nearly ten hours. She felt very tired, but was afraid to go to sleep.  
  
She wondered idly how long they were going to keep her in there and how long the other captives had already been there. She knew there was at least one other prisoner there besides the girl who had spoken earlier, because at times she heard whimpers coming from the darkness. She thought it might be a child, but prayed that she was wrong. Her stomach growled and she mentally growled back and told it to shut up.  
  
She supposed she should've felt horribly indignant and angry that another human being had presumed such control and power over her, but it just wasn't in her nature. In her seventeen and half years, life had taken the time to teach a few very valuable lessons. Such as, it really is always best to just tell the truth as it eventually saves you a lot of trouble. It's always best to look on the bright side of life because no one likes a pessimist and an angst ridden teen is so cliche. Finally, always try to find the humour in the situation. Laughter is, after all, the same in every language and it's food for the soul. Laughter and a light heart can get you very far, although you wouldn't think it.  
  
The time ticked slowly away, the dungeon's gloomy atmosphere never changing. At intervals, Darwin and the other captives were submitted to the rambling sermons of the monks. She thought going to mass every Sunday and having to listen to the Indian priest who couldn't speak English very well was bad, but this was just ridiculous. These men had clearly lost their minds a long time ago. They all had this crazed, deranged look to them, with their stringy hair and bony hands and sunken eyes.  
  
They would pace back forth and just go on and on about how great the grace of God was and how they were going to be given salvation and how they would accompany them to receive said salvation and how it was the prisoners' lot in life to be sacrificed. They would've made great Jehovah's witnesses.  
  
Just as one of the monks was reaching the pinnacle of his sermon, getting all riled up and excited, Darwin couldn't help but laugh. It started as a little giggle that she tried to stifle, but the laughter just bubbled up from her belly and exploded.  
  
The monk stopped dead in the middle of what he was doing and just glared in her direction.  
  
"You laugh at the teachings of the Lord?" He asked incredulously.  
  
"No, I'm laughing at you." She barked out another laugh. "You're funny."  
  
"Insolent child!" He screamed. "You shall receive no food rations for the next three days. Perhaps that will teach you to laugh at God." He turned on his heel and was followed out of the room by the other two monks.  
  
"Good!" She yelled back. She felt very satisfied with herself. At least now they could be prisoners in peace instead of listening to anymore insane rambling.  
  
"Do you realize what you've done?" She heard a voice say. It was the girl from before, the one who's cell was close to hers.  
  
Darwin shrugged, only to realize that the girl wouldn't be able to see her do it.  
  
"I don't care." She said flatly.  
  
"Surely, you will starve." The girl said, and there was concern in her voice.  
  
"Meh. I wouldn't want to eat anything they gave me anyway. Have you seen the dirt under his fingernails?" Darwin said simply.  
  
There was no response for a moment and most likely the girl didn't know what to make of Darwin.  
  
"Where do you come from?" Darwin heard the girl asked suddenly. Hmmm, this could be difficult. She thought she might tell the truth, but then figured she had had just about enough alienation for one day.  
  
"I'm not from around here." She said after a moment. "Where are you from?" She asked, although she wasn't sure why, because she most definitely didn't know the place.  
  
"I am a woad. I live north of here." The girl said. She sounded sad. Maybe she missed her family.  
  
"Uh huh, I see, I see." Darwin replied, pretending like she knew what she was talking about. "How long have you been in here?"  
  
"Nearly a month, I believe." The girl replied. She sounded so tired. It was obvious from her voice that she was young, but in that moment she sounded so very old.  
  
Darwin gave a low whistle. That was impressive. She had stayed in this hell hole for that long without going crazy. The girl deserved a prize.  
  
"What's your name?" Darwin asked brightly. The past few hours had been so dull and depressing and now she finally had something to occupy her time. Huzzah!  
  
"Guinevere, and yours?" Guinevere asked from her cell. Darwin heard her move to the other end of her cell, coming closer to her.  
  
"I'm Darwin." She said, and not for the last time in her life she rolled her eyes at her silly name and her dad's damned fascination with the theory of evolution.  
  
"It is a strange name, but a nice one." Guinevere said from her cell. There was a pause. It was, in reality, quite an odd situation to find one's self in and any sort of conversation just seemed a little out of place.  
  
"Is it true what they say?" Guinevere asked. She seemed genuinely curious.  
  
"True what they say what?" Darwin asked, confused.  
  
"That you are, in fact, a witch?"  
  
"Oh, um, well....." Darwin trailed off. This had already gotten her into a lot of trouble and she didn't really want anymore of it.  
  
"Do not be afraid. I will not condemn you like these tyrants do." There was just something so honest and strong about the way she spoke that Darwin couldn't lie to her.  
  
"Yes." She said finally. "Yes, I am."  
  
"Are you acquainted with Merlin?" Guinevere asked, now sounding very excited.  
  
Darwin gave an aggravated little sigh. "Who is this Merlin guy?" She asked.  
  
"He is a great Wizard. Those who live in the south fear him and believe he is evil, but he truly is not. I know him to be a man of great kindness." She replied.  
  
"Riiiight." Darwin said, thinking for a moment. Another person of magic? Hmmmm. If anyone was likely to know what was going on, it was him. Maybe he knew how to get back to Hogwarts. "I'd like to meet him." She said finally.  
  
"If we ever leave this place, I will bring you to him." Guinevere promised.  
  
Darwin's main rule in life was to always try and find the humour in every situation, but after being in that place for nearly a week, she found it hard to even open her eyes, least of all laugh. It now seemed even more of a feat that Guinevere had been able to survive there for over a month. It just seemed impossible to her now. She experienced a cold like she had never known. It sunk right into her bones and stayed there. Her arms and legs felt week from lack of use, her head and stomach were pained from lack of food and she felt dirty. Disgustingly dirty. Her skin itched  
  
and her hair was a matted mess.  
  
When the monks weren't around, Darwin and Guinevere would sometimes talk, or sometimes Guinevere would call across to the other prisoner, a little boy named Lucan. But as the days passed, Darwin didn't feel like talking. A strange depression was setting in as she realized she might die in this place. She came to admire Guinevere for her strength. She knew she could not last a month in the place, and, to be honest, probably wouldn't last another week.  
  
Time would slowly drag by, and she could feel herself getting weaker. She found she thought often of Hogwarts, and all her friends there. She wondered if they had any clue what had happened to her and if they were looking for her. She thought of her parents and wondered what they were doing and if they were missing her.  
  
She had to admit, the whole premise of the situation did seem a bit medieval, but then again, the Wizarding world existed completely unbeknownst to the rest of the world, and perhaps this was a similar situation. She just prayed something would happen soon.  
  
Just as hope seemed to be fading, something did happen. Her biological clock told her that it was sometime late in the morning and the grumbling in her stomach told her it was close to lunch time. The monks looked like they were just about to launch into another sermon when a loud banging came from the door. Someone was tying to break in! This could only be a good thing.  
  
Darwin scuttled to the front of her cell and rammed her head against the bars to try and see what was going on. She could hear someone descending down the stairs, and light was flickering on the walls. The monk she hated the most hobbled over to where the light was coming from.  
  
"Who are these defilers of the Lord's temple?" She heard him hiss. 'Oh shut up, you crotchety old wing bag', she thought.  
  
Then there was a second voice, a strong male voice that spoke. She couldn't hear what he said, but it brought a smile to her face.'Where have you been all my life?' she thought. These people would help them, she could feel it. There was more said, but all she could make out was something about survivors.  
  
She tried to yell, but she was speechless. Well, she thought, there really is a first time for everything. There was suddenly a great energy in the dungeon. It was waking her up, knocking life back into her senses. She felt a sudden rush of strength and banged her firsts on her cell bars.  
  
To her dismay, her efforts only caused a small little ping sound.  
  
'Ugh' she thought. 'I'm such a girl.'  
  
By the sound of it, there was now a small herd of people in the sad little hole in the ground. There was a loud clanging noise which could only mean one thing. They were opening the cells! She banged furiously on her cell bars now, 'Me next, me next, me next!' her mind screamed.  
  
Guinevere was strangely quiet in her cell and Darwin could only pray that she was alright. Her mind now had become consumed with her own survival though. Her throat was on fire now. From trying to yell and her harsh breathing it was now stiff and burning and brought tears to her eyes.  
  
The dungeon slowly became more and more illuminated and the footsteps drew closer and closer.  
  
"This one's dead." She heard someone say. 'But I'm not!' she wanted to scream.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she saw a pair of heavily armoured boots come into view. The owner of the feet which filled said boots bent down and his face swam into view. He had dark features and dark hair, but more importantly had a sword in his hands. She couldn't say anything, only smiled and prayed that she didn't pass out from the exertion. He gave the slightest smile back and then stepped back so that he could swing at the latch holding the cell bars.  
  
The noise it made falling to the ground was one of the nicest she had ever heard. She went to scramble out of the cell so fast that she forgot about the chains around her wrists. Her wrists hurt something fierce after that. All she could do was lay in a heap on the ground, her wrists angled toward the cell.  
  
"Do not move." She heard the man say. She saw him raise his sword, preparing to cut the chains. 'Oh please be careful', she prayed. In all honesty though, she would have rather lost a hand or two then spend another minute in that dreadful place.  
  
His sword swung down with expert precision and her wrists were free.  
  
"Lancelot, bring her outside." The man said. Another man who had been standing close by bent down next to her and flashed her a small smile. Survey says, doable. Even in the darkness of the dungeon she could tell was a very handsome man. She gladly allowed him to pick her up, but before he began to walk, she frantically pointed in the direction of Guinevere's cell.  
  
"Don't forget," She squeaked out. "Guinevere."  
  
Satisfied with herself, she slumped against his chest and watched gladly as the dungeon floated by. If she was sure of anything in her life, it was that she would never, ever see this place again.  
  
Lancelot carried her outside into the bright sun. It was like leaving a movie theater times ten. She could barely keep her eyes open, it hurt so bad. He set her gently down on the ground and for a moment, she felt like she was drunk. Her head swam and her limbs tingled. He brought her some water which she drank very quickly.  
  
"Thank you." She said from her place on the ground.  
  
"You are welcome, my lady." He said. 'Oh, did you hear that? He thinks I'm a lady!' her mind said and she giggled.  
  
She continued to lay on the ground for a few more moments, just enjoying the fresh air and sunlight. She kept her eyes closed and breathed deep. This was nice. Someone was calling for water, and she cracked her eyes open to see that Guinevere too was being taken care of. She watched the scene unfold for a moment and felt a deep happiness that things were starting to go right.  
  
But then that stupid monk started talking. Uh oh, spoke too soon. He was gesturing towards Guinevere and Lucan, most likely saying something along the lines of them being heathens. Then he took a few steps toward her, stopped, and glared down at her.  
  
"And this one's a witch." He nearly growled.  
  
Darwin scrambled to a sitting position as she heard Lancelot give a little snicker at her side. Well, at least someone wasn't a crazy prejudiced bastard around here.  
  
"And this," The monk said, drawing her wand from his robes. "Is her instrument of evil."  
  
This provoked a few more laughs from the other people gathered there and Darwin felt relieved. Perhaps she had just been very unlucky with her encounter with the monks.  
  
"You old fool."Lancelot laughed. "It's nothing but a stick of wood." At this he plucked the wand from the monk's hand and twirled it around with his fingers. "See?" He gave another patronizing laugh and let the wand fall to the ground.  
  
Darwin wanted to smack him, but realized the advantages of not doing so. A small argument between the men who had rescued them and the monks ensued and she took the opportunity to reclaim her wand while no one was looking. As she looked around, she noticed that a few of the villagers were staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths. They seemed to be keeping a great deal of distance between themselves and her and every time she moved they would jump. For a just a moment, she thought that she understood a fraction of what it was like to be a Jew in Nazi Germany, or an African American during times of slavery. Or, more fittingly, someone accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch hunts. In that moment, she felt hated and despised. They loathed her and she was irrevocably different from them. They glared at her like she was sub-human and hide their children behind them, as if they feared she might eat them. Maybe Lancelot didn't believe in accusations of witchcraft, but they sure did. She looked away and stared at the ground, her cheeks flushing. She had never felt so unwelcome in her life.  
  
It seemed as though the monks had greatly annoyed the leader of the group, because the man who had freed her from her cell was now shouting for the monks to be walled back up. Good riddance to bad rubbish, they deserved it.  
  
As that was being done, the man spoke with Guinevere, no doubt asking about her ordeal. After a few moments of that, he made his way over to her. Not wanting to be rude, she scrambled to her feet. Her head felt a little woozy, but this man just commanded respect. As she stood, she felt her gold necklace, with a small gold cross attached, topple out from under her blouse.  
  
"No need to exert yourself on my behalf." He said kindly, but for a moment, she swore she saw just a hint of the prejudice in his eyes that was so abundant in the villagers. He hid it well though.  
  
"It's alright." She said. "I'm fine." It actually felt really good to stand up and stretch her legs. Plus, her arse was starting to get really sore from sitting for so long.  
  
He seemed to be considering her. There was something unreadable in his eyes. He didn't trust her, that was for sure. His eyes moved to the cross around her neck.  
  
"I see you wear the cross of our Lord. You are a Christian?" He asked, and as he did so, something softened in his eyes.  
  
Coming from an Irish- Italian family, she never really had a chance. She was a Roman Catholic and had been since before she was born.  
  
"Yes," She replied, nodding her head  
  
He continued to regard her for another moment. His eyes moving from her face to her the cross around her neck. She felt slightly uncomfortable. She felt as though she were being tested. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. She knew she needed this man's help to get back home.  
  
"What is your name?" He asked finally.  
  
"Darwin Moore." She replied, and as expected, both he and Lancelot quirked an eyebrow. She wanted to roll her eyes and ask they of they had ever heard of Charles Darwin, but she stopped herself. "And who are you?" She asked.  
  
"I am Arthur Castus." There was so much power and strength in his voice, that Darwin suddenly felt very small standing in front of him.  
  
"And who are these people?" She asked, motioning the other armoured men there.  
  
"These are the famed Sarmatian knights." He said this as if it were very obvious.  
  
"I see." She said slowly, and a strange tally was beginning in her mind. Arthur called over another one of the knights, a blonde, shaggy-haired one, and said something to him. He motioned in Darwin's direction, but she barely noticed.  
  
........Hmmmm, Arthur, why does that sound familiar?.......  
  
Her mind began to work. The people of the village were loading wagons and packing up their things. Apparently, they were leaving. The blonde knight came over to her leading a horse behind him. He regarded her with a funny look, before introducing himself as Gawain. She mumbled her name back, but she was preoccupied.  
  
........Lancelot. Guinevere. Where have I heard those names?......  
  
Gawain said something about her riding with him. She shrugged and nodded. She had never ridden a horse before. This would surely be interesting. He more or less picked her up and plopped her on the horse without saying a word. The horse shifted and stamped it's hooves. Out of reflex, she grabbed onto the saddle. She looked up at the sky, and blinked. Something wasn't quite right here.  
  
........Merlin? Wasn't there a wizard named Merlin on the Famous Wizards Cards that came in the chocolate frogs?...........  
  
Gawain walked a few steps toward one of the other knight's who was already mounted on his horse. They began to speak, but Darwin couldn't hear what they were saying. Everything had faded to background noise as her mind slowly worked toward the awful conclusion. She slid her hand into her pocket and ran her fingers along her wand. She had a feeling she would need it soon. She glanced over at Arthur. She stared at him for a moment before finally admitting that he was dressed like a Roman soldier.  
  
..........Okay, so we have a Roman soldier who is named Arthur and is the leader of a group of knights. One of said knights is named Lancelot, okay......There's a girl named Guinevere who knows a Wizard named Merlin, hmmm......Not to mention, there's a bunch of people walking around in rags, pulling wooden wagons, living on a farm, with a strong prejudice toward witchcraft......Oh, and don't forget the crazy monks..........  
  
"Oh my God." She gasped as it hit her like a pile of bricks. She wasn't near Hogwarts. Not anywhere close. She wasn't even in the right century. This was King Arthur! And the Knights of the Roundtable! Oh shit!  
  
How could this happen? Of all the ridiculous, unfair, stupid things to happen. This?! Honestly, who goes back in time?  
  
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no." She whimpered. Her breathing quickened and she grasped the saddle tighter. She suddenly felt dizzy and feared she might throw up. She was so far from home it was unbelievable.  
  
Suddenly Gawain was at her side. He looked up at her.  
  
"Something the matter, lady?" He asked.  
  
"You're a knight of the roundtable." She stated.  
  
"Yes." He looked quite confused.  
  
"NO!" She whined. Anything but this! What was she going to do now? She felt panic rising in her, but this was unlike the panic she felt when she awoke in the woods. Then, she had merely been lost, looking for her way back to the castle. Now, she was lost in time, with no clue of how to get back. "This can't be happening! Not to me!"  
  
She could feel tears prick at her eyes. She had drawn the attention of a few of the other knights there, and they began to come nearer, swords drawn. The horse, sensing their mood, shifted again, and moved slightly.  
  
They all regarded her with a strange look as they came closer. They did not trust her. They were going to hurt her. Her mind became a cacophony of sounds and blurs of colour and she suddenly wanted to run. Get as far away from them as possible. Back to the woods. That was safe. There she didn't have to deal with history coming to life.  
  
She grabbed the reins of the horse. Too bad she didn't know what she was doing. She gave the horse a slight kick in the side, and it trotted a few steps. She quickly pulled out her wand and gave him a slight zap in the backside. And they were off. She did her best to guide it toward the forest. The wind rushed through her hair and she was suddenly very cold. She heard shouting behind her and soon heard more galloping behind her. They were chasing her. She urged her horse to go faster. The forest grew closer and closer. She didn't know what she was going to do when she got there, had no idea. But she needed to run, get away from the awful truth. She had gone back in time and had no way of getting back. This could only mean trouble.  
  
A/N: I have no idea where this is going, but it's fun! I'm trying to decide if there should be a pairing or not. I'm thinking maybe Gawain, or maybe Lancelot, but I've already written one of those. Anyway, that's all for now! 


	3. A Silly Name and Saxon Invaders

A/N: I'm glad at least a few people are enjoying this! I know crossovers can get really tacky and it's hard to make them work sometimes, so I'm actually very pleased with the reviews I've gotten thus far. Keep 'em coming! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
Chapter Three: A Silly Name and Saxon Invaders.  
  
"Can't you move any faster?" Darwin screeched at the horse. It really was a shame she had absolutely no knowledge of horses, because as she screeched, she also pulled up on the horse's reins, causing the horse to veer off course and stumble.  
  
She was frantically looking over her shoulder, as the three knights chasing her were, rather quickly, gaining ground. Sigh. The fact that they were who they were, and this wasn't some sick and twisted dream made her cringe. This was actually happening, and, the way things were going, she wasn't sure, but she thought that there was nothing left to go wrong.  
  
When the first arrow whizzed past her head, she knew she was way out of her league. Not that there had ever been much question anyway, considering 'her league' would be a three year old armed with a stick or a rock. But now they were shooting at her! Trying to kill a weak, innocent girl. The nerve! Well, there was the small catch and that was she wasn't completely 'innocent'. She was, after all, riding a stolen horse.  
  
They were getting way too close for comfort now. She racked her mind for any charm or curse that she could use, but her mind was blank. She had never been one for dueling, and when she did, it was with Sirius or James who always let her win. The Tickling Charm was always her best offense in those instances, but judging by the huge swords, bows, pointy arrows, sharp daggers and thick armour of these men, a Tickling Charm just wasn't going to cut it.  
  
Her horse pounded away, faster and faster, but the knights were still gaining on her. Damn them for knowing how to ride horses! Damn them for chasing her! And damn the idiotic person/force/accident that brought her here.  
  
Maybe they just wanted the horse back. This sudden revelation was appealing. She turned around again.  
  
"Do you just want the horse?" She called. They were close enough now that they must've heard, but all she got in response was another arrow aimed in her direction. No such luck.  
  
She kicked her horse in the sides, and leaned forward looking to the forest. So close. Another arrow whizzed by her, this one coming close to her right arm.  
  
"Would you stop that?!" She yelled back. It obviously didn't do any good. "Why me?" She whined. Feeling sorry for herself was becoming second nature now.  
  
After what seemed like an inordinately long time, she finally reached the edge of the forest. She supposed when things went wrong, they just seemed to take a long time, because you had to agonize over every second, and that could take awhile. She made the split second decision to go at it on foot. The forest floor was covered in a lot of brown stuff and even more green stuff (as it turns out, she knew even less about botany then she did about horses) but common sense dictated it would be too hard for a horse to move through all that.  
  
She pulled back sharply on the horses reins, and thankfully it came to a quick stop. A little too quick, actually, as she was more or less thrown off. She landed in a heap, something pointy at her back and her hand in something slimey. She could feel mud on her face and thought she felt a bug scurry up her leg. Now she remembered why she never went camping.  
  
She began to stumble through the bush, tripping and stumbling all the way. She heard the three men dismount behind her and she knew it was over. She couldn't win. There was just something about the odds, the hopelessness of it all. They were going to catch her. As if to echo her thoughts, one of them spoke.  
  
"It is no use. You will not escape."  
  
Smart ass.  
  
"But I can try!" She hollered back. "Stupid bastard," She mumbled. "Reading my mind. Who's the witch now?"  
  
She could hear them getting closer. They tore through the bush like it was nothing. The problem was, the closer they got, the more she panicked, and the more she panicked, the more she tripped and stumbled and the slower she went. As a last resort, she pulled out her wand. She was at least going to give it a go. You might be wondering why she didn't do this before. The simple fact was, Darwin was a smart girl, but her intelligence was quite limited to pure academics. James had once called her the dumbest smart person he knew. She knew all about the origin and history of spells, knew how to pronounce them properly and knew every effect they caused. She always scored high on tests and always knew the answers, but for actual practicality, she was at a loss. She wasn't capable of transmitting all of her learned knowledge into actual use. She had gained a mass amount of knowledge concerning magic over the past six and a half years, but she rarely ever employed it. She had never been forced to think in a defensive mind-set before now.  
  
She racked her brain. All that studying, all those test scores, all those OWLs meant nothing now. She needed to think of something and fast. Just as one of the knights was making to grab her, she took a deep breath, and hit him with a Trip Jinx. Direct hit! He completely lost his footing and landed flat on his face.  
  
She continued to run, and now found herself at a steep uphill slope. She used the thick tree roots to pull herself forward. She racked her brain a little more. Maybe the Conjunctivitis Curse? They couldn't chase her if they couldn't see her. The problem, she, of course, had forgotten exactly how to cast it.  
  
She soon gave up on that when she remembered the full body bind. She turned and pointed her wand at the closest knight.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" She said quickly. Well, it worked. Worked very well, actually. Now she knew what a petrified tree looked like. The knight had moved out of the way. Sigh, this just wasn't going well.  
  
She tried casting the Blasting Curse a few times, but it was a tricky spell to cast, especially when the caster was breathing hard and trying to run at the same time.  
  
In the end, it was all to no avail. Really, she never had a chance. The three knights caught up with her, and she was tackled to the ground by the heaviest one. Of course it was the heaviest one, it would've gone against the rules of this universe if something awful that could happen to her didn't.  
  
She gave a little struggle, tried to kick him in the groin, but then got over it. She gave in and just lay there, being squished by the heavy knight gasping for breath.  
  
"Gotcha!" He cried.  
  
No shit, Sherlock.  
  
"Alright, you've got me! You win. Uncle. I give up, now get OFF!"She panted. Her face was being crushed by his arm and in addition to being quite heavy, he also needed a shower.  
  
"Good luck with that. Bors too much enjoys the feeling of a woman beneath him." This was from Lancelot. He gave a laugh and so did Bors, right in Darwin's ear. The other knight remained silent.  
  
"That's disgusting. You need to take a bath, you need a breath mint and you're old enough to be my father. Please, don't make me sick." She growled.  
  
This only made them laugh again.  
  
"Ah, she's got spirit!" Lancelot laughed.  
  
"Just the way I like 'em." Bors purred in her ear.  
  
"Ew, ew, ew, ew." was all she could say to that. She elbowed him in the chest and he finally rolled off, but grabbed her wrists and held on tight. She wasn't going anywhere.  
  
"We should return to the others." The quiet knight said. He had a thin face and shaggy hair. He had been the one shooting the arrows. Jerk.  
  
"That's an excellent idea. Why don't all of you go back to the others and I'll just be on my merry way. Tell them I got away." Darwin suggested while glaring at the quiet knight.  
  
"Impossible. We didn't go through all of that trouble for nothing." Lancelot told her.  
  
"Come ooooon." She pleaded. Sadly, that was her negotiation skills at their best.  
  
At this, the knight called Bors, pulled her rather roughly to her feet. She was covered in dirt and muck and there were little scratches all over her hands and arms.  
  
"Should we bind her hands?" He asked the others.  
  
"No. You can trust me. Honest." She answered before Lancelot or the other knight could.  
A look passed between them  
  
"Yes." They said in unison.  
  
"Tristan?" She heard Bors say behind. Darwin couldn't help but smile. When she was younger, she had a friend who owned a very spoiled, girly, treated-like-a-child Persian cat who had been named Tristan. It seemed an odd coincidence that this brooding, fierce knight shared the name.  
  
Tristan produced a long, thin length of cloth, seemingly out of nowhere and tossed it to Bors.  
  
"Do you do this often?" Darwin asked as he began to bind her wrists behind her back. She saw a smile curl on Lancelot's lips, but he said nothing. Tristan was being Tristan and said nothing, again.  
  
Bors didn't really answer, only grunted in slightly questioning manner. Darwin took the opportunity to clarify.  
  
"I mean, do often take innocent, young girls hostage for no reason?" Darwin asked, surprising herself. That was a pretty forward thing to say, considering her fate laid entirely in their hands for the moment.  
  
"Occasionally, but there's always a reason." Lancelot answered for him, giving Darwin a sly little wink.  
  
Bors gave a laugh and then stepped away. Darwin felt awkward standing there with her arms behind her back. She looked up at the knights and they looked back at her. They all regarded her with varying degrees of interest. Bors looked a little bored and was slightly red in the face from the exertion. Lancelot glanced at her face and then moved his eyes to the ground. Tristan was glaring at her and she couldn't read his expression.  
  
"Where do you come from?" He asked finally when the silence was getting uncomfortable.  
"I'm not from here." She said.  
  
"That much is obvious, lady. Tell me, where do you come from?" He asked again, and there was an edge in his voice.  
  
"Listen, it would be too difficult to explain. I wouldn't want to burden your primitive mind with the complex concept." She sneered. She had never responded well to rudeness or aggressiveness.  
  
He gave no reply to this, only narrowed his eyes. If he was offended by being called primitive by a sarcastic young girl who could not remotely prove her intellectual dominance over him, he did not show it. He merely took a few steps toward her, the expression never changing on his face. When he neared her, he raised his hand toward her. The was a dark look in his eyes and she was suddenly afraid. She closed her eyes tight and feared for the worst.  
  
"Please don't...." She whispered. She felt her robes ruffle at her sides and she opened her eyes. He had her wand!  
  
"Hey! That's mine." She said and would've held her hand out, if they hadn't been tied behind her back.  
  
"Just as that was Gawain's horse." He said simply and walked away, still holding her wand.  
  
"Oh, but I need that." She whined. Without her wand she was utterly defenseless. She had no knowledge of how to use a weapon, or defend herself at all, and no knowledge of how to survive in this strange land. Without her wand, she would be doomed.  
  
Tristan gave no response, only continued walking, most likely heading back to the others. Bors gave Darwin one last look before following Tristan. Surprisingly, Lancelot was smiling.  
  
"You think this is funny, eh?" She asked him.  
  
"Come. We must return to the others." For a moment there was an edge in his voice, as if he were daring her to try and get away. She knew there was no use, not without her wand, and so she began to walk.  
  
He walked beside her. He walked proudly, with an air of nobility. He seemed so fierce and powerful. He looked like something out of a fairy tale. All clad in armour, he looked so grand, so much larger than life. The notion of it was somehow romantic. She suddenly felt small and insignificant next to him.  
  
Their footsteps matched perfectly, despite his legs being longer.  
  
"Gawain will not take kindly to having his horse stolen." Lancelot told her.  
  
"I was only borrowing it." She countered.  
  
"I suppose you would have set it free after you rode many leagues and it could no longer carry you. That's hardly borrowing." He said, but he didn't seem angry or indignant on his companion's behalf. His tone was light and it was quite appealing.  
  
"Can't horses always find their way home?" She asked. "Or maybe that's cats. Or maybe there is no such animal." She said more to herself. Sometimes, she was convinced, she just talked too much.  
  
"Perhaps some horses possess the talent." He said nothing for a moment. "What sort of name is Darwin, anyway?"  
  
Ugh, not that question again. 'Doesn't anyone know who Charles Darwin is? And what's so weird about being named after him, anyway?' she thought.  
  
"My father named me after a supposedly well-known scientist. Not what I would have chosen, but it obviously wasn't my choice." She said. Somehow, this was one of the less painful explanations of her name.  
  
"Your father was a man of science? That's quite impressive."  
  
Darwin gave a withering little laugh. That wasn't quite what she meant, but she'd take it.  
  
"Lancelot's an English name, right?" This was quite obvious to her, but she wanted to keep the conversation going. This was rather entertaining.  
  
He looked a little puzzled for a moment.  
  
"It is a name of the Britons." He said. She supposed they were talking about the same thing.  
  
"Yeah. That's what I mean. So, explain something to me." She said and he quirked an eyebrow. He was listening.  
  
"I'm not quite sure I understand. Arthur's a Roman, but he's leading British knights?" She asked. She had only been mildly exposed to the Arthurian legends. Her parents were Canadians, so she had been subjected to hockey, poutine and learning French as a second language instead.  
  
"We are not of Briton." He said sharply. It sounded like she had offended him. She waited for him to explain.  
  
"My companions and I hail from Sarmatia." He told her, and she wished she knew where he was talking about.  
  
"Where's that?" She asked.  
  
"Far from here. Many years ago, all our families became indebted to the Roman Empire. All our fathers served the Empire, and theirs before them. Ours sons will do the same." He said, and his voice was heavy. Obviously this was a touchy subject, so she didn't push it. Lancelot, besides Guinevere, was really the only person whom she had met so far which didn't seem to inherently distrust her. Offending a possible friend would do no good at all.  
  
They had left the woods now, and they continued to walk toward the group of peasants and the other knights. Gawain's horse had not strayed far from where Darwin had left it, and Tristan began to lead it by the reins.  
  
It really was disorienting to walk with her hands behind her back, not being able to swing her arms. The forest had seemed so much closer before. The field between the settlement and the woods had flown by when she had been on the horse. But now, this was actually going to take a little while.  
  
She suddenly got the urge to start off "I would walk five hundred miles......" but restrained herself. That would just make her look weird.  
  
When they reached the crowd of people that had assembled she saw that there were several carts, loaded with sacks and wooden boxes. All the people were laden with their belongings. It occurred to Darwin that they were carrying their lives with them in those sacks and boxes.  
  
As Darwin neared them, the people cleared the way and left ample space between themselves and her, strange looks on their faces. 'I feel like a leper' Darwin thought dramatically.  
  
Tristan returned Gawain's horse to him and he quickly mounted it. She wasn't sure, but she assumed he didn't want her to ride with him , lest she try and steal his horse again.  
  
Arthur rode up to Lancelot and certainly looked the part of Prince Charming on his noble looking white horse and Roman armour.  
  
"Lancelot, we must hurry." He said with a nod of his head. "It's nice to have you back." Arthur said to Darwin before galloping off.  
  
"It's great to be back!" She called after him. "Where are we going?" She asked. In all the fuss of realizing she was in the wrong century, she hadn't thought to wonder why all the peasants were leaving, or why she had ever been put on Gawain's horse in the first place.  
  
"An army of Saxons is headed this way." Lancelot told her. "You'll ride with me."  
  
"Saxons. They're Swedish, right?" She asked, as she trotted behind him.  
  
He turned to regard her for a moment.  
  
"Are all the people of your land this strange?"He asked.  
  
"No. Only about half." She said as she assured herself she wasn't strange, it was just, er, a cultural difference.  
  
He lead her to his horse. It stamped and whinnied.  
  
"Why do I have to ride with you?" She asked suddenly.  
  
"Would you prefer someone else? Perhaps Bors?" He shot back, a little annoyed.  
  
"No, no, you're fine." He gave her a withering look. "I mean, why can't I just walk. I'm not too good with horses."  
  
"You're just good at stealing them. You'll ride with me because Arthur does not wish you to walk."  
  
"So he doesn't trust me? Either that or he's overly concerned with my well-being." If the accusations of being a witch hadn't already singled her out enough, this most definitely would. Especially since her hands were still tied and she had a sinking suspicion they would remain as such.  
  
"He has his reasons." At this he pulled her forward, toward the horse. "We must hurry."  
  
In one swift motion, he wrapped one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, and lifted her into the saddle. The horse took a step and stamped it's feet again. Lancelot mounted the horse, sitting behind her. He took the reins in his hands, gave the horse a little kick in the sides, and they were off.  
  
"What's it's name?" She asked.  
  
"Who's name?" Lancelot asked from behind her. The dynamic created by talking to someone who was right next to you, but that you couldn't see was strange. It almost felt like she was talking to no one and was just hearing voices.  
  
"The horse's name." She said, and had the urge to turn and face him. She liked to look people in the eyes when she spoke to them.  
  
"Darwin." He responded.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"No."  
  
Darwin rolled her eyes. She had a dumb name, okay, alright, just let it go. She got it.  
  
"He is called Hamilcar." He told her, and advertently or not, his mouth was right next to her ear, and this had a strange effect on Darwin.  
  
"Heh," She sniffed. That was almost as bad as Darwin, but she didn't say so. She had decided to try and get on his good side.  
  
Arthur was in the lead with Bors and Gawain, while Tristan and another knight Darwin did not know took up the rear. The carts and wagons were near the front, while the group of peasants on foot followed behind, leading their livestock and children. Lancelot rode near the front of the pack, keeping some distance between them and the others.  
  
Darwin's eyes fell to a particularly large wagon, but instead of being filled with possessions, there were people in the back. Someone was looking at her from the back of the wagon and it was a moment before she realized it was Guinevere. She looked quite ill and lay on her back. The look in her eyes was not an entirely coherent one and so Darwin did not try to speak with her. She needed to rest. Darwin gave her a smile and a wink and Guinevere gave the slightest smile in return before closing her eyes. She saw that Lucan was there too. He too, looked incredibly ill. One of Arthur's knights was there with him. In that moment she was suddenly very thankful that she had not had to stay in the dungeon as long as they. The way they were now clinging to life terrified her in a way she had been before.  
  
Their progress was very fairly slow and it was obvious to even Darwin that this was a great cause of anxiety amongst the knights. Gawain and Bors would occasionally looked over their shoulders, seemingly fearing that the Saxons would be upon them at any moment.  
  
"What will happen if the Saxons catch up?" She asked Lancelot, who as well, had looked over his shoulder a few times.  
  
"We will have to fight. Though I do not wish to consider the outcome." He did not seem afraid and his voice remained strong.  
  
"What would happen to all these people?" Her questions were to be expected. She had never been witness to this sort of thing before and she was slightly confused.  
  
"They will all be killed, most likely." He said and his voice did not waver.  
  
"Even the children?" She asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How many Saxons are there?" She was now beginning to understand the anxiety of the knights. The seven of them could not defend all these people.  
  
"An entire army. That is why we must hurry." His tone had become surprisingly light.  
"If they do catch up to us, I'll help you fight."She said this only half-heartedly. Her magical abilities might be of some help, but other then that, she would be completely useless.  
  
Lancelot only laughed. He had quite a nice laugh, come to think of it. It was so honest, like he really meant it. Maybe he always found the humour in life too.  
  
"A woman in battle?" He scoffed. Darwin tried to elbow him but didn't quite succeed.  
  
"What's wrong with that?" She asked, pretending to be insulted. She knew perfectly well women would not serve in the British military for a long, long time.  
  
"Women do not fight in battles. They raise their children and care for their husbands." The fact that he didn't say this with an air of superiority, merely as a stating of the facts, was actually quite agreeable. But still, Darwin could never openly agree with a statement like that.  
  
"Not where I come from. Women fight in the military right along with the men in my country." Darwin told him.  
  
"But why?" He asked. He seemed truly puzzled.  
  
"Because they want to." At that moment, Darwin wished she was a bit more versed in feminist values, but feminism had never really made all that much sense to her.  
  
"Why would they chose a life of hardship and death over a life of child rearing and safety?" he asked.  
  
"Because they want to be equals, I suppose. It's kind of complicated. You have to understand the mentality behind it."  
  
"And what, pray, would that be?" He asked, and she could just picture the smirk on his face.  
  
"I don't really think any woman wants to live a life of hardship and death. I think the whole point was that they wanted to be part of the military because the men told them they couldn't."  
  
"No doubt for their own well-being." He said. "Who raises the children then, if the women fight the wars?"  
  
"Their husbands, I guess." At this Lancelot gave a long laugh.  
  
"What a strange country you come from. I suppose it is an interesting concept, but an all together impractical one."  
  
Darwin just shrugged. It really wouldn't do much good to try and discuss this with him.  
  
Hamilcar trotted along at a steady pace but Darwin couldn't help but feel like she would fall off at any moment. Her arms were beginning to get stiff and sore now and she wished she could stretch them, if only for a moment.  
  
After several hours of only having trees, rocks, dirt, and more trees to look at, Darwin became quite bored. It was beginning to get late. The light was draining from the sky and the shadows grew long. Even though she really hadn't done much all day, she found she was quite tired now. All things considered, this wasn't so bad. Her hands being bound was understandable, she had stolen Gawain's horse and she was a witch. Despite these facts though, Arthur, and his knights, were not cruel to her, like the monks had been. They didn't trust her, but that was something she hoped was only temporary. Looking back now, she realized the knights had never really posed a threat to her, she had simply panicked.  
  
But now all the panic, anxiety, and depression were replaced by simple tiredness. She now felt safe, but she was unsure why. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. The air was nice here. So clean and pure.  
  
Before long, despite being quite cold, she found herself beginning to doze. She could hear the trudging footsteps of the peasants and Hamilcar's hooves hitting the ground, and it was somehow soothing. It was all so peaceful. Somewhere in the distance a bird cooed.  
  
Without thinking about it, she leaned back and rested against Lancelot's chest. His armour was hard and a little pointy, but she barely noticed. She wriggled her head and shoulders to try and find a comfortable position.  
  
"Sleep." he told her quietly. At this she felt him move one of his arms and a moment later, she found herself covered by his cloak. It was thick and soft and she felling herself getting sleepy. Just before she completely lost consciousness, she slumped in his lap and she felt him wrap his arm around her waist under the cloak. Hmmm....this was nice.  
  
She slept. It was a rather awkward position to sleep in, but she had made herself comfortable. She slept and she dreamed.  
  
She didn't know how much time had passed, but she knew it had been awhile. Lancelot gently shook her awake.  
  
"We have stopped for the night," He told her quietly. She had the same feeling she always had whenever she would fall asleep in the backseat on a long drive home, only to be awakened by her parents when they reached their house. She suddenly felt cold and a little disoriented.  
  
It was now completely dark. They were in a lightly wooded area, with a few tall trees and low lying bushes. It was quite here.  
  
Lancelot dismounted first and then proceeded to help her.  
  
"I believe you no longer pose a threat." He said with a small smile. At this, he drew a dagger from his side, stepped behind her, and cut the bindings around her wrists. Her arms immediately swung to her sides. They were so stiff and sore. She went about massaging her aching muscles at once.  
  
"Thanks." She said sincerely.  
  
Lancelot gave her a small nod before walking away, leading his horse behind him, no doubt in search of Arthur.  
  
Around her, she saw little groups of people, all setting up camp. Some were cooking, some were tending to their children, some were already asleep. She walked about aimlessly for a little while. None of them would look at her. It was obvious she was not welcome. She felt feared and hated. She felt lonely. She was an outcast.  
  
She considered trying to find Guinevere, but soon gave up on that. She and Lucan were being tended to and she did not wish to disturb them.  
  
The smell of food cooking reminded her of how hungry she was. She could heard the fires crackle and wished to feel the warmth from one of them.  
Just as she was considering approaching a small group of people, all seated around a small cooking fire, she made eye contact with one of the women there. She sneered and quickly looked away. Darwin very soon gave up that idea. She knew where wasn't wanted.  
  
In the end, she plopped herself down at the foot of one of the trees there. All the people were clustered fairly close together, but she sat a little way off. Out of sight, out of mind. They wouldn't growl and sneer at her if they didn't have to look at her. She figured it would be best to just avoid drawing attention to herself.  
  
However, this plan meant that she had to sit alone, shivering with her knees pulled to her chest and with her stomach growling. She glanced over at the nearest fire and had to admit, she felt strangely jealous. Jealous of the comfort and companionship those people now shared.  
  
She buried her head in the space between her knees and chest and closed her eyes. It didn't surprise her that she was on the verge of tears. Awhile passed, and she just remained there, sniffling and feeling lonely and missing home.  
  
She heard snow crunching under the feet of someone approaching. She looked up, praying it wasn't one of them peasants coming to bother her for being what she was. Instead, she was quite pleasantly surprised to find Lancelot standing before her.  
  
"Hungry?" He asked and quirked an eyebrow.  
  
She nodded vigorously and wiped at her eyes. She didn't want him to know she had been crying.  
  
He sat down next to her and handed her a plate of food. She wasn't quite sure what it was, some sort of stew, but it was hot and very, very good. Normally, she was quite a picky eater, but now, anything would have been good.  
  
"Thank you." She said without looking up from her food.  
  
"You're welcome." He said simply. He sat next to her in silence, leaning back against the tree.  
  
She finished her meal quite quickly, but didn't even think to be bashful about it. That was the first real meal she had had in quite awhile. She leaned back against the tree now, quite content, albeit, still quite cold.  
  
"Are you really a witch as they say?" Lancelot asked her. He seemed genuinely curious. He, unlike many of the peasants, did not seem afraid of the concept, merely intrigued. So, she of course answered truthfully.  
  
"Yes. I have been since I was born. But I'm a good witch. I don't do evil things, as these people seem to think."  
  
"So you've never transformed anyone into a frog or eaten a child whole?" He asked with a laugh, as if the very concept of Darwin doing such a thing was preposterous.  
  
"Of course not." She smiled.  
  
"Show me some of your magic." He said, and at this he presented her with her wand.  
  
"My wand!" She exclaimed, grasping it. "How did you get it?"  
  
"To be honest, Tristan was quite eager to be rid of it." He replied, staring at the wand.  
  
Darwin thought for only a moment before making a small dip in the untouched snow before them and then casting a bunch of Bluebell flames into the dip. They gave off immediate warmth, and pleased with herself, Darwin tucked her wand into her robes.  
  
"Impressive." Lancelot stated, staring into the flames. "Why do you not stay with the others?"  
  
"I think they're afraid of me. They must have assumed I was an evil person, which I guess I can understand. People fear what they don't know. I figured it was best for me not to push the issue."  
  
"It is a difficult role to play, being an outcast. It is a shame you are so young with such a burden to bear."  
  
Neither said anything for a moment, but it was a comfortable silence.  
  
"This strange land you call your home, do you miss it?" Lancelot asked her quietly, after a moment.  
  
"Yes, very much." She really didn't want to gush about all the things she missed about home. "Do you miss Sarmatia?"  
  
"At times. I have been away from it for so long though, it does really feel like a home anymore, and neither does this land." This struck Darwin as very sad indeed. At least she had a home to miss.  
  
They spoke for awhile longer, the conversation flowing very easily. After a time, Darwin grew tired and Lancelot offered his shoulder for her to rest upon. She fell into an easy sleep and dreamed of eating breakfast in the great hall with Remus and Sirius while Dumbledore and Arthur sat at the Head Table, watching her in grave silence.  
  
A/N: I'm aware there are probably a couple of historical inaccuracy's in this chapter (hell, the premise of this story is historically inaccurate), but just ignore it though. This is just for fun and all that. Hmmm, looks like it's going to a Lancelot pairing! WOO! Yeah! Lol, anyway.....I'm starting to get a few ideas for this, and it's keeping me entertained, so expect an update soon! Bye! 


	4. Now We're Getting Somewhere!

**Chapter Four:Now We're Getting Somewhere!  
**  
Darwin awoke the next morning with very cold feet and a warm back. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and detaching the string of drool running from her mouth to her forearm, she sat up, stretched and looked around.  
  
_ Hmm, I hope I wasn't snoring_ she thought absentmindedly. _Damn, still here.  
_  
Her face felt stiff and she had a very strong urge to brush her teeth. She was no longer far off by herself, but instead, was right, smack in the middle of the encampment. A little cooking fire was burning a few feet in front of her, hence the warm back. Not only was she now surrounded by the peasants who didn't trust, she had somehow ended up sharing a fire with several of the Sarmatian knights. As her sleepiness wore off, she looked at them and they looked back at her, albeit, quite disinterestedly. She gave them an awkward, sheepish little grin and wondered why she was there, and not safely off by herself.  
  
She presumed Lancelot had something to do with it, but of course, wouldn't be sure until she asked. Very convenient, him not being there. It felt a little like he might have planned it that way.  
  
Bors was cooking something over the fire, Tristan was quite consumed with sharpening one of his daggers, and Gawain spoke to another one of the knights, who Darwin did not know, in hushed tones.  
  
It was colder now then it had been the day before, and Darwin couldn't concentrate on much else but being cold. She tried moving closer to the fire, but the second she edged forward, all four of the knight's heads shot up, and she found herself on the receiving end of four watchful glares.  
  
She gave an unfortunate laugh and another sheepish grin.  
  
"Okay." She reassured them. "I'll stay right here."  
  
"You better." Gawain said, not looking at her. He sounded angry.  
  
"Look, if this is about the horse-" Darwin began, but was silenced by Bors.  
  
He gave a long laugh and continued to stir whatever it was that was in the pot.  
  
"What are you laughing at?" She asked, quite perplexed. It was a fault in her character that, at times, she could be quite socially inept.  
  
"Nothing really. It's just Gawain isn't worth his salt as a knight. Letting a little girl steal your horse!"As he finished, he gave another long laugh, and Darwin saw the other knight sitting next to Gawain crack a smile.  
  
"She looked deceptively incapable of such a thing."He replied, giving Darwin a look, as if to reassure himself that yes, she really did look like a little wimp. "Besides, I didn't let her steal it."  
  
"Only put her in the saddle, and handed her the reins. But you are correct, you didn't tell her to leave." The dark haired knight said.  
  
Darwin could hardly get offended, as they were quite right. She was well aware of what she looked like, and if she were a skilled knight she wouldn't feel threatened by a skinny girl who had just been pulled out of a dungeon. However, it was utterly infuriating to be talked about in third person while she was sitting right there.  
  
"Ah, right you are, Galahad." Bors replied. Gawain gave no reply, only looked to the pot on the fire. If she guessed right, and she liked to think that she was, she bet he was waiting for the conversation to move on to something else.  
  
"Well, as absolutely stimulating as this conversation has been, I think I'll just go for a little walk, you know, stretch my legs." The watchful glares returned immediately, but not so harsh this time. "If it's alright with you, of course." She tried to give her most charming smile, but had the plunging feeling that it came off quite sickly sweet.  
  
"Aye, but stay where I can see you. Arthur won't take well to us losing track of you again." Bors said, not altogether unkindly.  
  
Darwin couldn't help but roll her eyes at this. It wasn't as if she was exactly being held against her will anymore, added to the fact that she really didn't have anywhere else to go. She stood up too quickly, got a head rush, her knees popped and she stumbled away. Just as she was taking her first steps, she heard one of the knights speak.  
  
"And neither will Lancelot." Gawain chuckled. Darwin peeked over her shoulder, and all four of them, even Tristan, had the most smart ass, knowing smiles on their faces.  
  
Ugh, men. Can't live with, but you could definitely try living without them.  
  
Darwin shuffled along aimlessly. Her stomach growled and there was a rock in her shoe. She paid very little attention to either though. She kept her head down and didn't look at anyone. She merely stared at her shoes, which were caked in dirt, and hoped she went unnoticed. She kept her hands in her pockets and slowly ran her fingers down her wand. It, obviously, made her fell a little more secure in her situation.  
  
Again, her thoughts went to her home, her own time. Not knowing how she got there, she was not sure of the dynamics of the situation. Had she suddenly gone missing from Hogwarts and no one knew where she was, or had time stopped there? Was she in danger of changing the future, or had this always happened and perhaps she was meant to be there? The whole idea of time travel made her head hurt, and so she very quickly gave up trying to figure it out.  
  
This place was decidedly cold and unfriendly, and she missed here own home terribly. She missed the warm atmosphere of Hogwarts. It was a place of learning and a place of safety. She missed writing to her parents and reading the letters they would send back. She missed going to her classes, and she dearly missed her friends. They were good friends, which she had had for quite some time, and they made up so much of who she was that without them, she felt quite empty.  
  
The sad reality was that she was here now, and apparently there was nothing she could do about it. Turning into a sobbing, depressed, little sap wasn't going to help anyone, especially her. She decided she might as well try being brave or just give up now. There was an innate glimmer of hope, and she grasped it, and prayed she wouldn't let go.  
  
Besides being depressed, lonely and hungry, she felt dirty. Very, very dirty. She hadn't been able to bathe for quite some time now, and smelt awful. No one else really seemed to mind though, as smelling terrible appeared to be the norm around here. Her hands were caked in dirt and her fingernails were black. Her scalp itched and when she tried to run her fingers through her hair, she found several knots. Her clothes were dirty, and she just felt grossly unclean.  
  
Just as she was having a sniff under her armpit to survey the damage, Lancelot was suddenly standing in front of her, holding a small jar filled with water, a crooked smile on his face.  
  
"I stink." She explained.  
  
"I see, my lady." He said as he quirked his head to the side. "Are you overly concerned with hygiene?" He asked.  
  
"Not obsessively so, but yes, I like to be clean. Why do you ask?" She inquired.  
  
"It seems such a trivial thing." He said off-handedly.  
  
"Trivial? Do you want to smell this?" She asked, raising her armpit toward him.  
  
He backed away in a good natured way.  
  
"Perhaps another time. However, if you are so concerned with the way you smell, perhaps you would like to visit the small stream in that direction." He pointed to his right. "The water is quite cold, but it has not frozen over."  
  
Hmm, freezing cold water or stink like a pig? Number one please!  
  
She looked in the direction in which he had pointed. "....where?" She asked.  
  
"Come. I will show you."  
  
With that he turned, and began walking swiftly. Darwin lagged behind, stumbling over things that she shouldn't have and squinting her eyes as the bright sunlight reflected off the snow. In her humble opinion, it was just way too early to be walking around in the freezing cold. As a matter of fact, it was just way too early to even be awake.  
  
She, of course, didn't know exactly what time it was, but everyone seems to posses to ability to tell when it's too early to be awake and they should still be in bed.  
  
She could've taken the opportunity to whine, but didn't. She was trying to endear herself to Lancelot, after all. She trotted quickly up behind him, her legs feeling stiff, her arms wrapped about her.  
  
She glanced up at him and gave him a toothy grin. "Good morning Sunshine!" She exclaimed.  
  
He gave her a quizzical look. "Why do you address the sun?"  
  
"I was talking to you." Darwin replied. She again reminded herself of the language barrier.  
  
"I see. I remind you of the sun then?" He asked, a laugh creeping into his voice.  
  
"Yes....No.....I mean, a little bit." Darwin could feel herself blush under his gaze. His smile was at her expense.  
  
They continued to walk, Lancelot still moving a lot swifter then her. The snow crunched under their feet as they neared where the stream would be.  
  
He led her through a group of small trees and bushes, past a long, rotting, fallen log and lo and behold, there was the stream. The snow on either bank had been washed away , but there were still patches of ice here and there. The water was flowing fairly quickly, and it gurgled and splashed when it hit upon the rocks.  
  
"I hope the water's clean." She mumbled. She knew she really had nothing to fear, but in her time, in her life, she would never have even considered doing something like this, what with all the water borne bacteria and such.  
  
She trotted down to the edge of the water, rolled up her sleeves, knelt down and then paused for a moment. There was dirt, or something of that sort, floating around in the water. There were also a few leaves and branches and she could have sworn she saw some bugs swimming around in there.  
  
"Go ahead." She heard Lancelot say behind her. "The water isn't that cold."  
  
Darwin gave a little laugh. That wasn't what she was worried about. She had given up hope of having an actual bath a long time ago. Maybe she would just quickly wash her face and hands. At least that would refresh her.  
  
The muddy bank squelched under her feet as she leaned forward to cup some water in her hands. It was freezing! Her already cold hands shivered and shook and she brought the water toward her face. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and then splashed the water onto her face. Her forehead pounded like she had brain freeze. She wiped at her eyes and blinked a few times. She turned to see Lancelot gazing at her like she was nothing but incompetent.  
  
"Shut up." She said as she splashed some water in his general direction. It fell quite short and he didn't even move.  
  
She turned her attention back to the stream and splashed her face a few times. Then she moved onto her hands and washed those. She couldn't quite get rid of all the dirt under her fingernails, but she tried her best. After she felt satisfied with her attempt to clean herself she stood, wiped her hands on her robes and turned to go back.  
  
"Finished." She told Lancelot with a smile. He said nothing, only smirked in reply.  
  
They began to walk back, their pace slower then it had been when they first arrived.  
  
"Do I sleep walk?" She asked suddenly.  
  
"I beg your pardon, Lady." He answered.  
  
"I mean, do I walk while I'm asleep?"She asked.  
  
"I'm not sure." He paused for a moment. "Shouldn't you know?"  
  
"How? If I walk in my sleep then I'm asleep while I'm doing it." She had momentarily confused herself. She tried to stop thinking for a moment, but it didn't work, so she just shrugged it off and tried to organize her thoughts.  
  
There was an awkward pause that she knew could've been avoided.  
  
"What I meant to ask was, how, if I went to sleep under that tree, did I wake up next to a fire?" She asked finally. For a moment she thought he was going to try and convince her that there had never been a tree and that the fire had always been there. "I brought you there." He said simply.  
  
"......why?" It had been a quite unexpected act, and she wasn't quite sure how she should react to it.  
  
"You looked as though you needed the warmth and the companionship." At this he gave her a sidelong glance that she wasn't supposed to see.  
  
"I suppose you arranged it so that you would be gone when I woke up?" She asked dubiously.  
  
"No, that was merely a happy accident." He said with a chuckle. She wanted to punch him in the side, but wasn't sure how he would take it, so she restrained herself.  
  
"I bet." She said. There was another silence, but this one wasn't awkward. "Where are we going today?" She asked. She still wasn't quite sure what was going on.  
  
"We continue our trek back to Hadrian's Wall." He said simply.  
  
"Who to the what now?" She asked, furrowing her brow.  
  
"Hadrian's Wall is where were are stationed."  
  
"Why are you here than?" She was now thoroughly confused. She supposed this should've have occurred a long time ago, but shit happens. She was only now, a day and a half after the fact, trying to figure who, why, what, where, and when.  
  
"We were ordered to retrieve Alecto and bring him back to the wall." He said this rather harshly. Apparently, someone didn't like his job all that much.  
  
"What for?"  
  
"For his own protection."  
  
"Who's Alecto?"  
  
"The Pope's favorite nephew."  
  
"Oh, you mean the skinny kid with the shaggy hair?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose." He answered hesitantly.  
  
"How long did it take you to get here?" She asked.  
  
"Many days and it will take many days to return." "What about the Saxons?" She asked.  
  
"They will be upon us soon." He replied. His voice was like steel. Two minutes ago he had been jovial and now he was the epitome of doom. What a moody guy.  
  
"This seems like an awful lot of work all for one kid." She said sympathetically.  
  
"It is. It only serves to strengthen the irony that we were meant to be freed the day we received our orders for this quest." He told her grimly. She suddenly felt very sorry for him and wanted to give him a hug.  
  
Instead though, she placed her hand on his upper arm for a few moments. He looked over at her, gave a slight nod of his head and small smile. She returned the smile and they continued to walk.  
  
They returned to the others shortly. There was a great energy in the camp.  
  
Lancelot turned to her. "Do you have your belongings?"  
  
"You're looking at 'em." She said, indicating the clothes on her back.  
  
"Right. Come with me. We must hurry."  
  
He led her away and all around them, people packing things and loading carts. A few of the smaller children were crying and the odd sheep or goat ran by.  
  
He led her right to Hamilcar, stepped aside, and waited.  
  
She quirked an eyebrow. "I'm going with you again?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, m'lady. Please hurry. We shall depart any moment."He said quickly.  
  
"I suppose I can't argue with that." She simply. She stepped up to the horse and then stopped.  
  
"Uhh....hmmm....." She mumbled, trying to think of the best way to do this.  
  
"We haven't the time." She heard Lancelot say behind her. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around her waist and in one swift motion picked her up placed her in the saddle. He quickly mounted behind her and in a few moments they were off at a fairly quick pace.  
  
From that point on, it was a very long day. The pace started off quite fast, then it slowed down, and then it sped up again. The sun rose in the sky, made it's way across, and eventually began to sink. The day was filled with just riding, riding away from the evil Saxons. Darwin spoke with Lancelot a few times, mostly about his home. She also, inadvertently of course, asked him several questions for which he could not possibly come up with an answer. Several times throughout the day, she slipped her hand in her pocket to make sure that her wand was still there. It was quite a source of comfort and relief.  
  
All in all, except for when one of the peasants decided to start singing a song that no one else knew in a very loud, out of key sort of way, the day was quite boring and passed by uneventfully. There still seemed to be no reason for Darwin to be there, and overall she was just getting quite bored with the whole, as I suspect everyone else is. That night though, something would happen, something that would her a reason for being there and for this story to exist. Something that would change Darwin's life, save someone else's and ruin another's. It all began when Guinevere shook Darwin awake that night, and simply said "Follow me."  
  
**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry for the huge delay in updates, but I've recently moved into my university dorm room and the past few weeks of my life have been quite hectic. Anyway, I got some time off and decided I'd finish this chapter. Hope you all like it! That's it for now. P.S. Reviews really do make me write faster :-D 


	5. A Serving of Reason

**A/N**:Everyone liking this so far? Tell me what you think!  
  
**Chapter Five: A Serving of Reason**  
  
"Whasgoinon?"Darwin mumbled as Guinevere shook her. She tried to shove Guinevere off and roll onto her other side, but Guinevere wasn't giving up that easy.  
  
"You must awake and come with me."Guinevere hissed. It sounded urgent. Too bad it was God knows what time in the middle of the night and Darwin was only partially coherent.  
  
"_Uggghhhh_. What?" Darwin asked. She didn't think to whisper like Guinevere and so her voice reverberated throughout the camp.  
  
"You must come with me." Guinevere's face swam into view. Her eyes were wide and she looked quite anxious. She glanced to either side, seemingly expecting to see someone there waiting.  
  
"But why?" Darwin whined. She again tried to curl up into a little warm ball on her bed roll, but Guinevere pulled her to a sitting position. "Can't this wait? I'm sure it's not _that_ important."  
  
The shadows flickered across her face as she regarded Darwin. She said nothing for a moment and the effect was quite creepy.  
  
"You would do well to come with me. It is of the utmost importance." She said in a very hushed tone. She seemed calm, but there was unease just itching to get out from under the surface.  
  
"Trust me, nothing's that important to me. Like, this one time, my mom was all - - - Hey, wait a minute, is this some sort of girlie problem thing? Cause if it is, I'm telling you right now, I don't do the whole 'girl-talk' thing." Darwin said as she scratched her head and tried to stifle a yawn.  
  
Guinevere quirked her eyebrows in a funny sort of way.  
  
"I assure you, it is nothing of the sort. We must make haste however, dawn is nearing and your chance will soon pass." She said this very quickly as she, without asking, pulled Darwin to her feet.  
  
Her blankets fell to the ground and she was suddenly freezing.  
  
"Can't I have just five more minutes?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Come _oooon_." Darwin whined. She looked longingly back at her blankets and bed roll. So warm.  
  
Guinevere began to walk very swiftly up ahead. She was now only a shadow moving deeper into the woods. Darwin stood for a few moments more, trying to collect her thoughts. This place really was just getting bizarre.  
  
"Ah well." She said out loud to no one in particular. "Go big or go home, in for a penny in for a pound. If someone wakes you up in the middle of night to tell you something important, you might as well find out what it is." With that, she resigned herself to follow Guinevere to where ever it was that was so important that it couldn't wait until morning.  
  
Snow and branches crunched under her feet as she jogged to catch up with Guinevere. Guinevere looked quite regal, holding her head high, her shoulders back, her features set. She looked nothing like the skinny, dirty girl that had been pulled from the dungeon.  
  
"So," Darwin panted, catching up. "Where are we going?"  
  
"We're going to see the wizard." Guinevere said very seriously. Darwin, of course, was tempted to ask if it was the Wizard of Oz, but knew she would have to kick her own ass if she did that.  
  
"Merlin?" Darwin asked, remembering the name being mentioned.  
  
"Yes. I was told to bring you to him. You are quite certain that you are not familiar with him?" At this, Guinevere turned to regard Darwin for a moment. Something flickered across her face for a moment, a slight relaxation of the features, but then it was gone. She was back to being all business and waited for Darwin to reply.  
  
It was a few moments before Darwin even realized that Guinevere had asked a question and that she was required to give a response.  
  
"Oh, um, yeah, no, for sure, I've never met him. I, at least, I don't think I have......I do know two people named Michael, but that's hardly Merlin......." By the time she said this she had already forgotten what they were talking about and so just stopped talking altogether.  
  
Guinevere picked up her pace and Darwin really wished that she hadn't. She still felt very sleepy and, overall, was just out of it. She couldn't stop rubbing at her eyes and her arms felt like they weighed a ton.  
  
She ambled along, slightly behind Guinevere. The forest grew darker and thicker around them. Darwin couldn't help but start to feel scared. She didn't like being in dark places in the first place, especially not ones inhabited by creepy, crawly, dangerous animals. Guinevere didn't looked daunted in the least. She even glanced back at Darwin, wordlessly saying that they should be moving faster.  
  
Darwin picked up her pace and wrapped her arms tighter about her. It seemed to get colder as it got darker. The finger-like branches of the trees grabbed at her cloak as she passed, the wind fluttered her hair about her face, and the ground was quite slippery in some places. She tried to watch her footing, but the effect of looking to the ground, only to quickly return her eyes to the surrounding forest was making her quite jumpy and so she decided to just hope for the best and keep her eyes forward.  
  
After a particularly strong gust of wind rushed past, Darwin momentarily lost her nerve.  
  
"Where are you taking me?" She squeaked. Her voice sounded so small.  
  
Guinevere turned calmly around to regard her.  
  
"It is not my place to tell you." She said slowly. Her face was expressionless. There were dark shadows upon her face and her eyes appeared almost black.  
  
Somewhere in the forest a tree creaked and the wind moaned. An animal of some sort ran through the nearby bush, crunching over the dry leaves there.  
  
"I don't want to go. This is insane." Darwin whimpered. She turned to go, but Guinevere grabbed her wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong. There was a powerful look on her face and her eyes glittered.  
  
"You cannot leave. Do not be afraid, child." Guinevere said in a low voice but Darwin heard every word. Her words were harsh and Darwin knew she felt no sympathy. Even Guinevere was starting to scare her now.  
  
Darwin said nothing and swallowed hard. After a moment, Guinevere released her wrist. They continued to walk, the pace still quite quick. Every so often, Guinevere would glance in Darwin's direction, almost daring her to try and make a run for it.  
  
Guinevere led her through a few clearings, up several inclines, over a small, frozen creek, and finally came to a stop in between two large, sloping hillsides. The ridges of the hillsides were covered in thick trees and bush, but where they stood, there were very few trees and so the moonlit shone bright.  
  
Darwin suddenly felt afraid. Very afraid. Even if she wanted to run, she didn't know her way back. Guinevere was not acting like herself and this place was scaring her. Something just seemed so wrong. Her breathing quickened and she could feel herself starting to sweat despite the cold.  
  
The trees from atop the ridge cast long shadows into the little valley. The forest seemed fairly quiet, but every so often, there was a stir of movement and Darwin would jump.  
  
They stood there for a few moments more. Guinevere said nothing and Darwin just didn't want to know.  
  
Just as Darwin was pulling her cloak tighter about her, he eyes happened upon a man standing atop the ridge. She gave a little cry and gasped. She froze for a moment. The man stared back at her, just watching. His clothing seemed to make him part of the forest. He blended in so well that later, when Darwin thought back to it, she almost knew that he had been there the whole time and she had just not seen him.  
  
Darwin was still frozen to the spot when Guinevere first spoke.  
  
"Merlin, I have brought her." She spoke very clearly and her voice permeated through the air.  
  
The man on the ridge, apparently Merlin, did nothing for a moment, only continued to watch Darwin. Darwin really couldn't do anything but look back. She nervously clicked her heels together and prayed he was a nice wizard. She slipped her hand into her pocket and tightly grasped her wand. Just in case.  
  
Darwin glanced at Guinevere. Her eyes were looking forward, regarding Merlin silently. Another gust of wind blew by and Darwin's dark hair fluttered about her. Her knees felt weak and her fingers were numb.  
  
Just as Darwin thought the situation might start getting awkward, what with all this just standing around, staring at each other, Merlin began to the descend the slope slowly with the aide of his walking stick. After taking only a few steps, he turned and beckoned with his hand toward the forest. There was a pause, and then a moment later, Arthur emerged from the forest. His face was calm and it didn't look as though the cold was affecting him at all.  
  
They walked slowly down the side of the hill, taking careful steps, keeping their eyes on Darwin. Although, Darwin could've sworn that Arthur's eyes glanced over to Guinevere more then once. After what seemed like a painfully long time, they came to a stop a few feet in front of Guinevere and Darwin. Darwin could feel her stomach churn as she grew more and more nervous. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and wished she had some idea of what was going on.  
  
Up close, Merlin looked very old, very tired, and very dirty. His back was bent and his clothes, seemingly, consisted entirely of rags. His splintery walking stick was taller then Darwin and he leaned heavily on it for support. His hair was a shaggy, matted, gray mess, with a few braids thrown in here and there. His face was full of wrinkles, particularly around his eyes and his jaw was heavy set. He ran his eyes over Darwin wordlessly.  
  
Darwin glanced to Arthur. His eyes were fixed on Guinevere. His face didn't betray anything, but had they been in a different situation, Darwin would've taken the opportunity to let everyone know 'How cute!' she thought it was.  
  
She looked back to Merlin and their eyes locked. His eyes were deep and timeless. He had seen many things with those eyes. They seemed to speak of times long past, of great knowledge and great power. They were deep and dark, and for a moment, Darwin felt her fear lift. "You do not belong here." Merlin suddenly spoke. His voice was strong and deep and wise.  
  
"No." Darwin replied very quietly. She knew suddenly that her fate was in this man's hands. He knew the answers. He knew it all.  
  
"You are very far from your home." He said, not unkindly. There was a certain softness in his voice, an old kindness that had always been there.  
  
"Yes." Darwin said and her voice wavered. Her mind was suddenly filled with images of her home, her family, her school, her friends. She suddenly felt so very far from home indeed.  
  
Darwin bit her lip and shifted her weight again.  
  
"You have no need for your magic now. You will not be harmed." Merlin said very calmly, referring to the wand that Darwin was so tightly grasping in her pocket. She, honestly, wasn't all that shocked and let go of her wand and removed her hand from her pocket. It took a few moments, but she finally got up the courage to ask the question that had been itching at her mind.  
  
"Why- -" She began, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, and tried again. "Sir, why I am here?" If anyone knew the answer to this question, it was this man.  
  
Merlin closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. Darwin realised that both Arthur and Guinevere were looking at her and she pretended she didn't notice. She kept her eyes locked on Merlin. Her stomach felt heavy and her hands shook slightly. Finally, now, after all this time, there was going to be some clarity. Some sort of explanation.  
  
"It is......difficult......to see." Merlin said very slowly, his brow furrowing. He leaned even more heavily on his walking stick, his eyes still closed.  
  
Darwin didn't want to move, didn't want to think, didn't want to blink, didn't want to breathe. She continued to stare at Merlin, biting her lip harder and harder. Her heart pounded and she could feel sweat gathering on her brow.  
  
"You are here for a reason." Merlin said suddenly, with great meaning. His eyes remained closed, but his statement came out so strong that any doubt Darwin might have had vanished. This man must know the truth, there was just no alternative. She was now sure this had been no accident and no joke. She had some role to play, some task to do. Now, the only question was as to what it actually was.  
  
"I cannot see it. It is surrounded by a thick fog." He nearly whispered this, and despite her belief that this guy was the real deal, Darwin couldn't help but speculate that maybe was putting on a show just like any psychic worth their salt.  
  
After a moment, his eyes opened and they flashed with a renewed brightness. He stared wildly at Darwin.  
  
"You are there, in the fog." He said to her. Then he swivelled his head to face Arthur. "You are there to." He spoke clearly and he grasped his walking stick very tightly.  
  
He returned his eyes to Darwin and narrowed them slightly.  
  
"There is another there. You will be the ruination of this man." His voice dropped and Darwin had to strain to hear him.  
  
Darwin didn't have anything to say to this and so kept her mouth shut. She just stared blankly back at Merlin, taking it all in.  
  
"You will save and you will ruin. You will be a saviour and a destroyer."He said. He again turned his head to regard Arthur.  
  
"Your fates are intertwined. One cannot succeed without the other. Lose her, and you will never achieve the greatness you were meant for. You must keep her with you. Train her, protect her, value her so that she might fulfill her task. She is your salvation. She is the key." Arthur said nothing to this, but his features stiffened. She couldn't read his expression, but assumed that he was taking to the idea of leaving his future success in the Darwin's hands.  
  
Arthur gave a slight nod. Seemingly satisfied with this, Merlin turned his attention back to Darwin.  
  
"Desert him, and you will never return home. You will live a lonely life and die a horrible death." How cheerful. Darwin gave a little frown, thought for a moment, and then wholeheartedly resigned herself to the fate that awaited her.  
  
Darwin too, gave a little nod and that seemed to settle things.  
  
After that, Merlin, Guinevere and Arthur spoke quietly for a few moments more. Darwin aimlessly took a few steps away, her head down, her eyes focused on the ground. She had been given a reason now. She was meant to help Arthur in some way. As she mulled this over in her mind, she heard footsteps behind her. Guinevere and Merlin were retreating into the forest and Arthur was heading back the way she and Guinevere had originally come.  
  
"You will come with me." Arthur told her. She couldn't tell what he thought of the whole situation yet and didn't want to bother herself with it either. All she wanted now was to go back to the camp and curl up under her blankets and just shut out the world. She would deal with this in the morning.  
  
Arthur seemed to feel the same way, because as they began to walk, he said nothing of their current predicament. Actually, he said nothing at all. He had always seemed the strong, silent type, but now he had a lot to consider, and so did not waste his breath.  
  
Just as they were nearing the top of the ridge she heard Merlin's voice. It carried easily through the crisp night air.  
  
"Remember young one, it is your fate. It is meant to be." He called. Darwin turned for a moment to regard him and they're eyes met again. It was inexplicable, but she trusted him. She gave another slight nod of her head, and then turned back, and they were on they're way.  
  
The walk back was silent, both Darwin and Arthur lost in their own thoughts. Darwin tried to discern what Merlin had meant. She figured Arthur was the one she was going to help, but who was she going to ruin? Perhaps Arthur's enemies. She thought about it for a few moments more, but then decided that it could wait until morning.  
  
When they arrived back at camp, Lancelot was waiting there. He sat beneath a tree, off in the distance. Darwin stood next to Arthur as he spoke to Lancelot, who remained up ahead, a shadow in the dark. Around them, a thick fog had set in and the night had grown quite old. Dawn was nearing and soon the real story would begin.  
  
**A/N**: Woo! Another chapter! I'm actually really enjoying writing this. It's a nice break from all the university work. In one of the recent reviews for this story (sorry, can't remember who!) someone brought up the point that I have yet to describe Darwin in detail, actually, I've yet to describe her at all. This is simply because it's my belief that a character's description isn't that significant unless it's important to the plot. It's just my style. Plus, when I'm writing about a character, I usually picture them as someone that I know personally. That way, it just seems more realistic. Lol, Darwin looks like my friend Jessica - - - Does anyone know Jess? J/K. But really though, descriptions of characters have become so cliched in a lot of ways when it comes to fanfiction, that it would just sort of seem like an understatement if you just said the character had brown hair and brown eyes and didn't add in all the Purple Prose. My advice would be to just picture Darwin in your own mind however you like. She could be tall, short, fat, thin, with blondish, reddish, brownish, blackish hair if you like. Whatever makes her more real to you. As for why the knights don't say anything about Darwin's strange clothes, they're, um, pretending they don't notice ;-). Well, that's about it for now. Tell me what you think! 


	6. Not a Savior

**Chapter Six: Not a Savior.  
**  
Darwin awoke the next morning feeling empty. She felt as though she hadn't slept at all, merely spent the night in a dazed state, not wanting to even consider her predicament. She didn't even think to feel awkward or lonely as she usually did when faced with her automatic ostracized existence in the camp. She just sat off by herself, a far away look on her face, oddly enough, thinking about all the laundry she would have to do when she got back to school.  
  
It was simply in her nature that she was indecisive and, above all else, just didn't like to deal with conflicts. It was her tactic to simply let any problem facing her just simmer while she ignored it, hoping that it would eventually just resolve itself. Hence far, she had been inordinately lucky and had yet to feel the wrath of problems left alone going horribly wrong. If this had ever occurred to Darwin, which of course it didn't, the sarcastic bastard side of her brain would have simply countered that this situation was just _slightly_ unprecedented, and any experience she had thus-far in problem solving wouldn't really be relevant here.  
  
Of course though, Darwin wasn't considering any of this. Finding the most comfortable position on the frozen ground was what was currently occupying her intellectual capacities and she was just fine with that. Hell, this might all just turn out to be a really awful, horribly realistic dream, that seemed to take way too long and she didn't want to look the fool by actually getting worried about the outcome of a dream.  
  
Due to the stimulating, one-sided debate that was going on in her mind, Darwin didn't even hear Guinevere approaching. When she did finally notice her, she was already seated next to Darwin on the ground. She looked perfectly comfortable and seemed to have had no problem finding said comfortable position. Bastard.  
  
When Guinevere did not speak, Darwin very deliberately looked over and gave a good morning nod of her head. Guinevere, very gracefully, returned the gesture.  
  
"How do you fare this morning?" She asked. Darwin only now really noticed how astonishing the change was. Guinevere looked so regal and so lady-like sitting there, that for a moment, Darwin took the time to wonder what her hair looked like and to wish for some cover-up. Only for a moment though, then she went back to trying to get comfortable on the icy ground.  
  
"Meh." Darwin replied. She felt there was no more of a response needed. Meh pretty much summed it up.  
  
"It is a great task that has been set before you. It will be a difficult journey. I believe though, if you are true of heart and courage, that you will succeed. You are strong, I can see it. Do not be afraid." As she spoke, her voice grew more enthusiastic. A light came into her eyes and all her limbs stiffened. There was a pause and it was a moment before Darwin realized Guinevere was waiting.  
  
"Sneh." Was all she could say. This conversation was going nowhere fast.  
  
Guinevere looked momentarily daunted by Darwin's apparent lack of interest in simple communication, but never the less, she continued on. "I assure you, Arthur will take Merlin's words most seriously. You will be instructed in the ways of warriors, with rigorous training, so that you may be successful in this task." Guinevere told her as if she cared.  
  
Darwin closed her eyes very tightly for a moment and then opened them. Nope. Still didn't care.  
  
"Bah."  
  
At this Guinevere loudly cleared her throat and looked clearly agitated.  
  
"Are you even aware of the events of last night?" She asked hotly.  
  
".......yeah. I guess so." Darwin replied, stretching her legs out in front of her and trying to touch her toes. Sweet success! Her fingers just grazed the tops of her dirty shoes.  
  
Guinevere took in a shaky breath and if she had lost all confidence in Darwin she did not say so. Out of the corner of her eye, Darwin could see Guinevere shuffling through her robes, obviously looking for something. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, she held a small scroll of parchment in her hands. She unfurled it and moved it in a way so that Darwin didn't even need to turn her head in order to be subjected to it's irrelevance.  
  
"This," Guinevere said proudly. "Is a record of Merlin's prediction. He entrusted it to me, so that I may be able to fully validate the truth of his ability as a seer of events to come." Her voice brimmed with respect and pride, and after getting over the small shock that these people were literate and stopping to wonder if just maybe it was really just a little historically inaccurate, Darwin got the sudden urge to scrawl _'In case of fire, throw this in' right across it'_. Too bad she didn't have a quill.  
  
"It's very pretty." Darwin told her. It was lie though.  
  
"Do you not realize the severity of the situation?" Guinevere asked her sharply.  
  
"Apparently not. Please, enlighten me." Darwin remarked. Her attention had been drawn to a nearby tree that was drastically smaller then all the others near it. Poor tree. She actually took the time to wonder if it got picked on by the other trees. If the fate of Arthur was truly on Darwin's shoulders, he was in deep trouble.  
  
Guinevere breathed another deep sigh and continued on. Darwin knew she was getting on her nerves and the fact really didn't bother her all that much.  
  
"Merlin stated that you will be a savior. In this I am almost certain it Arthur of who he speaks. You must believe that you are somehow vital to Arthur's success. I beseech you, do not take it lightly. Arthur is destined to unite this country, to join the peoples of this land. Does assisting in this glory not appeal to you?" Guinevere regarded her with her bright eyes, and in that moment, her passion was contagious and Darwin reluctantly gave up on her indifference.  
  
"If it means that much to you, I promise to give it my best shot." Darwin said truthfully. No one likes a downer.  
  
Guinevere was visibly relieved by this and her whole countenance relaxed.  
  
"I will support you in this." Guinevere said.  
  
"Uh, thanks." Darwin said slowly. She thought for a moment. "What else did Merlin say? I kind of lost interest half way through." She shrugged and again, if Guinevere was annoyed by this act, she did not say so.  
  
"You will also be a destroyer." Guinevere said very seriously which only made it more amusing. Darwin the Destroyer. It had a nice ring to it.  
  
"Who, pray tell, am I going to destroy?" She asked.  
  
"I am all but certain it will be the leader of the Saxons. If Arthur is to be victorious, the Saxons must be defeated, and as you are to aide Arthur, this would seem the logical solution." Guinevere told her. It was a good thing that Darwin had yet to seen the Saxons in action, because if she had, she would have laughed hysterically and told Guinevere to pull the other one.  
  
Guinevere probably mistook Darwin's silence for anxiety because she quickly said "You have no need to fear though. You will be instructed in the ways of the knights. You will not be sent into battle unprepared. Arthur has already spoken to Lancelot concerning this matter. He seemed quite intrigued at the idea of instructing you and so readily accepted." Darwin could only roll her eyes and hoped that when the time came, she wouldn't make too much of a fool of herself.  
  
"Why me?" Darwin asked suddenly. The idea had been floating around her mind since she arrived, changing from a question of self-pity to a more philosophical one, but it was only now that she actual posed it.  
  
Guinevere thought for a moment. "You are not of this world. You are an unknown element in this place and you are of a magical line. Perhaps this is your advantage." Darwin nodded at this and gave a nervous little smile. She had a lot of doubts, but didn't want to voice them. Again, no one likes a downer.  
  
The conversation continued on for a few moments more, before both of them were informed that the company would be departing soon and so they should prepare. Since Darwin had absolutely nothing to prepare besides making sure her shoelaces were tied, she took the opportunity to stretch her legs and get a feeling for what was going on.  
  
As always, the Saxons were still after them and so getting away was the general agenda for the day. As Darwin walked around the camp, she absentmindedly twirled her wand between her fingers, quite oblivious to the way the peasants jumped when they saw her and scattered in the opposite directions. If she had known how to whistle, she would have.  
  
As this sort of thing so far had always seemed to work out, she eventually found herself in the general vicinity of Arthur and his knights. She smiled brightly and inwardly hoped that they didn't mistrust her anymore.  
  
"Ah, the newest addition to our fighting team has arrived!" Bors exclaimed and gave a laugh.  
  
"Don't you know it!" Darwin laughed back. It all seemed to silly right now.  
  
"And I believe I have the pleasure of instructing you." Lancelot called from where he stood with Arthur, obviously discussing the plans for that day.  
  
"You're going to regret that. I _gah-rawn-tee-it._ I'm a slow study and have a tendency to be quite lazy." At this Darwin gave a big, toothy grin.  
  
"This to who your fate is entrusted?" Gawain asked, addressing Arthur. "I pity you." He gave a laugh and winked at Darwin.  
  
"Don't remind me." Arthur said with a wry smile.  
  
"Them's fighting words." Darwin replied.  
  
To be honest, she was quite relieved that none of them were taking this very seriously. Premonitions and fortune telling could be entertaining, but Darwin always thought that anyone who took that sort of thing seriously was a little wacky. Just the idea that the fate of such an important man could be in Darwin's hands lacked any and all logic. Darwin secretly thought Arthur was just humoring Guinevere so he could get into her pants.....er, dress.  
  
Darwin suddenly found herself on the receiving end of a head-lock. She craned her neck to see that it was Bors.  
  
"You're a scruffy little thing. How you gonna fight the Saxons, eh?" He asked, ruffling her already messy hair.  
  
"They'll be subdued by my ethereal beauty." She quipped and Bars roared with laughter.  
  
"What? Just throw down their weapons when they see ya?" He asked as Darwin playfully struggled to get out of the head lock.  
  
"That's the plan." Darwin replied. Bors loosened his grip just enough so that she could slip of the head lock. She raised her arms triumphantly over head and jumped around. She had momentarily considering casting a Tickling Charm, or something of the sort, but had decided against it. Using magic in front of these people, even though they knew she posed no threat, was still quite taboo.  
  
It was surprisingly quick how fast everyone was up, packed and ready to go. Such a large group of people acting with such organization and intent was something that Darwin had never really experienced before. They began their day's march as they had before. The knights were out front and the peasants and livestock followed behind, with a few wagons and carts here and there.  
  
Today, for the first time, Darwin was taking the heel-toe express, that is, she was walking. When Lancelot had questioned if whether or not she would perhaps like to join him on his stead, she had giggled and declined, claiming that she was "getting fat" and hence needed the exercise. Lancelot had made a funny face at this, like he didn't quite understnad, but had said nothing. Nonetheless, he occasionally eHamilcar up beside her, making their paces match, and they would talk for a little while.  
  
The day actually seemed to pass by faster when she was walking. There was so much more to look at and she was expending energy. It felt good to really use her legs again and she thought that maybe, if the peasants saw that she was walking instead of flying around on a broomstick, it might normalize her a bit. It was worth a shot, anyway.  
  
It was interesting to see how all the people here interacted with each other throughout the day. Even though they never stopped for lunch, food was brought forth from somewhere and it was spread around so that everyone had something to eat. Even Darwin ended up with a little hunk of bread, given to her by a young girl with bright blue eyes and a dirty face.  
  
There were constant conversations going on around her. Some were energetic and argumentative, and some were soothing and clam and slow-paced. The children would laugh and run about, chasing each other and the livestock. Mothers carried their children and sang quiet songs to them while the elderly were helped along by the strong men with support and encouraging words.  
  
Up front, the knights were in constant conversation, ranging from loud, happy banter, to low voices and furtive glances, conversation being evident only from their close-trotting horses.  
  
It was at one of these such occasions that it became quite evident that something was wrong. Tristan had gone ahead, on Arthur's orders, to scout the coming landscape. He had returned after a time, his horse at a quick gallop, the reins held tightly in his hands. His face was usually a mask of indifference, but now, only ever so slightly, there was anxiety evident there.  
  
His lips were pressed tightly together and his features were hard set as he sat very rigid in the saddle. He rode next to Arthur and they began to speak in very quiet, hushed tones. From where Darwin was, she could not make out what they were saying, but she could tell Tristan had not been pleased with what he had seen.  
  
Ever so careful, so as to not arouse alarm, Darwin pulled her wand out of her pocket and cast a charm that she had learnt in fourth year. It was a version of the Sonorous charm, which was used to used to magnify voices, only this charm was particular to the castor's ears and so only she could hear the louder voices of Arthur and Tristan.  
  
".......state of the ice?" Arthur asked quietly, strain in his voice.  
  
"Thin. It would be dangerous to cross." Tristan replied, glancing around, perhaps trying to determine if anyone could hear them.  
  
"Is there another way around?" Arthur asked. He gently tapped his horse's side with his heels and picked up the pace. Darwin quickened her footsteps as well. Everything seemed so urgent now.  
  
"No. We would have to turn around right now, trace back along this forest, and then go West from there. The Saxons have certainly reached the forest by now. This is the only way."  
  
Arthur gave no response, only breathed a heavy sigh and signaled to the other knights that they were going to pick of the pace. There began to trot faster up ahead as Bors made the announcement that everyone was to move as fast as they could. There were sudden panicked murmurs through the crowd and even Darwin felt her stomach twist. From the sounds of it, they were trapped, or soon would be and these Saxons were sounding worse by the minute.  
  
Everyone was moving at a fairly quick pace now, the sounds of sacks and metal objects clanging together as their owners jumbled them around filled the air. Up ahead, the knights were constantly looking over their shoulders, as if they feared they might have to stop and fight at that very moment.  
  
Even though they were moving faster, they seemed to be moving slower to Darwin. Now that she was getting nervous, she noticed everything and the passing scenery seemed to move in slow motion. Every time she stumbled over a fallen log or slipped on the snow, she would quickly glance over her shoulder to see if just maybe the Saxons had arrived.  
  
After a time, they eventually reached the ice that Tristan had been speaking of, and Darwin had to say, she was impressed. It was by far the single largest amount of frozen water she had ever seen in one place. It was a patch of ice the size of a few football fields, wedged in between a large outcropping of rock on either side. This could be trouble.  
  
They were instructed to spread out across the ice and move very slowly. The weight dispersement made sense, but it was still difficult going. The problem was, the water hadn't frozen far enough down and so free flowing water was still visible beneath the layer of ice. Of course, this posed the dilemma that the ice could break any moment and they could all be dunked into the freezing cold water. At some point in her life, Darwin had been taught what to do if someone was exposed to water this cold, but she could only remember bits and pieces of what she had been told and had a sinking suspicion that it wouldn't do anyone any good.  
  
They moved slowly and carefully as the ice creaked and moaned beneath them. Darwin glanced around her to see that the peasants looked just as afraid as she felt. A few children were crying and their parents looked worried. The horses whinnied and stamped their feet. If the ice cracked, that would be the end of them all. Darwin glanced back at the shore of the lake and now it seemed miles away from where now stood. The mountains of rock on either side bore down on them like monsters from above. She looked forward to the other side, and it looked light-years away. There was no going back though. This was the only way.  
  
They continued on for a few moments more until the ice gave a particularly loud moan and Arthur gave the sign to halt. He and the knights began to speak quickly and quietly with each other, and Darwin was close enough to hear that they were, indeed, planning to stay and fight the Saxons here. It made sense. If they could ever actually get across this ice without breaking it, it was logical to think that a charging army of Saxons would break it and hence, problem solved.  
  
After a lot of very careful steps and sudden stops at different points on the ice, they were finally all across and safely on the other side. The peasants were all ordered to continue on up ahead, led by one the farmers, an Irish man named Ganis. The knights were staying to fight, as well as Guinevere, who had volunteered to stay. Supposedly, she was good with a bow. More power to her, but Darwin was getting our of there.  
  
She had assumed that she would just join the peasants and pray that the knights got back alright, but apparently, she was wrong. As she was walking away, Guinevere ran up behind her, grabbed her arm and inquired where she was going.  
  
"To safety?" Darwin replied. Where else would she be going?  
  
"You will stay here and fight." Guinevere ordered her. She looked astonished that Darwin would even consider leaving.  
  
"You must be joking. What good will I do? I don't know how to fight." She indignantly replied.  
  
"Of course you do. Quickly, come with me." Guinevere said quickly as she tried lead Darwin down to the edge of the lake.  
  
"What? No! Really, I'll be more trouble then I'm worth." Darwin whined. This was just insanity.  
  
But it was no use. In no time at all, Darwin found herself in the ranks of the knights, next to Dagonet and Gawain, holding a small wooden shield, her wand drawn, and desperately going over the most devastating curses she knew in her head.  
  
She nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other, but the only good this did was to cause her to slip and fall backwards, landing right on her arse. She scrambled to her feet, hoping no one would notice.  
  
She was nervous, scared and completely freaking out, but all the other knights didn't even seem in the least perplexed, Lancelot and Guinevere even had the nerve to be making jokes! Darwin looked wildly around, wondering when and where the Saxons would appear.  
  
She didn't have to wait long. Moving swiftly around an edge of rock leading down to the ice, a swarming mass of brown and grey came swooping down. It was the Saxon army and it was a lot bigger then she has expected. They marched closely together, roughly in a thick, long line across the ice. In the middle, out in front, marched two men on their own, obviously the leaders. They were shouting orders in another language that Darwin couldn't understand. Suddenly being faced with the opposing army was quite daunting indeed, especially considering they were nine against hundreds.  
  
It all seemed so incredibly insane right now. The probability of success was so astronomical that Darwin didn't even want to think about the odds, which were probably something like 575 868 734 974 to 1.  
  
"Let's run." She suggested.  
  
"We can't now." Gawain said at her side and Darwin knew it was true. This was it. The idea that she might actually die here was quite frightening. She wanted to cry.  
  
The Saxons moved out onto the ice and it all began. Perhaps because she was so nervous, or perhaps because she kept her eyes closed for about half of it, the battle just seemed to fly by. Apparently, the knights had much better bows then the Saxons and so they were able to fire at them before the knights were even in the Saxons' range. Darwin did her best to help, launching Blasting Curses and shouting _stupefy_ while she pointed her wand, but it was hard for her to cast those curses when it was in short range. At this distance, most of them would fly out in the wrong direction and hit the rocky ledges, or fall short and bounce off the ice.  
  
The twang of bows echoed in the air around her and it was only until the Saxons were about half-way across the ice that Darwin really realized what Arthur was trying to do. He was ordering the other knights to aim at the edges of the Saxons lines, so as to force them closer together, which would hopefully create enough weight for the ice to break. Well, it had broken yet, but it was groaning like it might. Darwin could just make out one of the Saxon commanders hollering at his men, most likely telling them to stay in their positions.  
  
Eventually, them were in the Saxon range of fire and this posed quite a new problem. With that many arrows coming at them at once, they were bound to get hit. Without thinking about it, Darwin took a few steps back and hid under her shield as the first wave flew over. After she hard the thuds of the arrows hitting the ground, she frantically looked left and right. Everyone was still standing. Phew.  
  
When the next volley came, common sense kicked her in the arse and she cast the evanesco charm at the incoming arrows. They disappeared from the air and someone gave a low whistle, like they were impressed.  
  
They Saxons inched their way forward, members of their ranks constantly falling, but the ice did not break. Darwin could feel the panic in the air, and oddly felt like she should try something else. She thought for a moment and then cast an incendio charm and flames sprouted out of the end of her wand and landed in front of the Saxon ranks. They looked quite shocked, but the flames did not go far enough and they had time to move around them.  
  
If given enough time, the fire would have melted the ice, but there just wasn't any time to waste. Darwin could see a small puddle of water forming, but it wasn't enough. Someone had to do something, and now.  
  
As if reading her mind, one of the knights picked up his axe and then ran forward onto the ice, and immediately began chopping away. It was a moment before Darwin realized it was Dagonet.  
  
"Cover him!" Someone hollered and they did just that. Now that the Saxons were closer, it was much easier for Darwin to cast her curses and so she actually contributed quite a bit the amount of fallen Saxons.  
  
Dagonet hit the ice again and again, and it was having a great effect. There was a clear hole in the ice, and it kept growing and growing at he chopped away. Just as it looked like they might all get out of this alive and that the ice was irreversibly going to crack, Dagonet was hit in the side by a Saxon arrow and then pitched forward into the freezing water.  
  
In an instant, Bors and Arthur ran forward toward the hole where Dagonet had fallen in. In front of them, the Saxons were disappearing into the freezing water as the plane of ice disintegrated into nothing but choppy water. Bors managed to pull Dagonet out of the water, and he and Arthur began to drag him back toward the edge of the lake. It didn't look good. He wasn't moving, and it didn't even look like he was breathing.  
  
Darwin knew if she was going to help him, she would have to make it fast. She scooted over and before she was even there cast a warming charm on him. It seemed to have no effect on the outside, but she hoped it did something for him on the inside.  
  
"Can you help him?" Bors asked. His normally jovially face was stricken with panic and Darwin wished she had a better idea of what to do.  
  
"Maybe." She replied doubtfully. If they had had a pile of blankets and dry clothes handy, it might have looked better, but the fact was, the peasants had continued on and were quite a ways ahead now.  
  
They dragged Dagonet to the solid ground at the edge of the water, but it was use. His wound just never stopped bleeding. Darwin lit a fire of bluebell flames and tried casting several warming charms while the other rubbed his limbs, but it was all to no avail. It took a while, but eventually, they had to admit that he was dead.  
  
Darwin had never been exposed to death like this before and it was quite sombering. Now, more then ever, she just wanted go home. She was sure she was not meant to be here. The person Merlin spoke of was supposed to be a savior, but here, Dagonet had just died while Darwin more or less helplessly. She felt doomed.  
  
A/N: Ugh. I'm not really happy with this chapter, but meh. I've been really busy lately, and honestly, this is the best it's going to get. Originally, I was going to have Darwin save Dagonet, but I figured that was a little far-fetched. Anyway, tell me what you think. Oh, and by the way, in case you what to know the status of the next chapter, how long it will take, etc., I have a journal on LiveJournal (the link's in my bio) . I know I get irritated when I'm waiting for the next chapter of a fic and I have no idea how much longer it will be or if the author's even working on it. Have fun!


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